Winter of the Bear
by Lagarde
Summary: This is the second story. Please start with The Pursuit. Following the events of The Pursuit, WotB continues the story of the deadly case Nick and Judy thought they had finished recently. With Rolen still at large, they must find new allies and make choices they will not like if they want to keep Zootopia and their families safe.
1. Chapter 1

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.1 – Brief Respite

 **August 9** **th** **, Tuesday Night – Savanna Central**

"This may be the worst movie you've ever found," Judy said, shaking her head as yet another mindless car chase began on the television. She had turned off the audio half an hour earlier and it somehow made no difference to the "plot" of the movie, though it did give her more time to ponder the cost of crashing that many vehicles. Reaching into the bowl on the small table in front of the couch, she found she had run out of carrots for snacking, making her frown even more deeply. "Please tell me you didn't pay money for this."

Nick smirked down at her, his arm around her shoulders as they snuggled on their new couch, which had become somewhat of a nightly routine after work. "Of course I paid money for it. The last time I pirated a movie, you lectured me for half an hour about stealing. Higher moral standard for the ZPD, or some such."

Judy growled softly, knowing he had her on the topic of copying movies. She could not encourage illegal behavior, even if this movie deserved it. She rolled her eyes as the chase went on and on, until finally she picked up the box the disc had come from to check the length of the movie, hoping they were nearing the end. When she flipped it over, the entire back of the box was blank, and Nick tried to snatch it out of her paw.

"And how much did you pay for it?" she demanded, holding up the homemade sleeve that looked as though someone had printed it in a hurry.

"Huh. Must be a misprinted copy."

"How much, Nick?"

"Five bucks?"

"Really?"

"Two. It fell off the back of a truck and was likely damaged."

"Hrmmm," Judy grumbled, tossing the box aside. "This is bad enough that I'll ignore you bought it from Duke. I just wish I knew why you always get such terrible movies. I'm starting to think you have no taste in movies at all."

"You wound me, Fluff," Nick replied, putting his other paw to his chest and giving her his best innocent and wide-eyed look. She knew better than to buy into any of that. Even before moving in, she knew better. Weeks under his roof—and longer visiting regularly—only reaffirmed her desire to glare when he put on that act. "If it's so bad, do you want to go to bed early? I'll make it up to you. Paw rubs, back rubs, whatever."

"Nick, it's only seven, but yeah…wait a second." Judy sat up and turned around to glare at Nick. "That's your suggestion every time I hate a movie you bring home."

"It seemed reasonable."

"Are you seriously picking movies I'll give up on so we can cuddle more? Wouldn't it just be easier to ask? I don't think I've ever refused."

Nick's innocent act began to show cracks when his muzzle twitched, trying to contain a smirk.

Sighing, Judy started to lean against him, only to have another realization. She immediately rounded on him again, this time hopping up onto her knees so she could look him straight in the eyes. "You've been picking these terrible movies since long before we were dating."

"Maybe I like these movies? I never claimed to have good cinema taste, only that my choices were better than Finnick's."

"You fall asleep if I don't suggest something else to do, or agree to your ideas," she countered, poking Nick in the chest with her short finger-claw. "Have you been trying to get me to sleep with you all along?"

"Not necessarily," he said, scooting a little farther away from her, while eyeing her finger. "Originally I was just hoping to make out. Then some bunny upped the ante and now I have these high expectations. Absolutely not my fault. I'm trying to meet a bunny's needs."

Judy groaned and flopped against him, shaking her head sadly. He would be the death of her and try as she might to be mad at him, she loved him anyway, even if she now had to find some playful way to punish him for trying to manipulate her. Had he just asked, she could have agreed, but with him trying to trick her it was now a game.

"You're right," Judy said, nuzzling the side of her head against Nick's chest to hide her grin. "I think we should go to bed early."

Nick stifled a giggle, which only helped convince Judy she was right in setting him up for disappointment. There was no way she was going to let him win, even if she enjoyed fooling around as much or more than he did.

"Give me a minute to get ready," she added, bringing her face up to tap Nick's nose with hers. The shiver through his whole body let her knew she had him. "I think you'll like what I have in mind."

Nick nodded vigorously, his ears straight up. "Whatever you want, Carrots. I'll…I don't know…turn off the movie and be right in?"

Judy grinned up at Nick, hoping he would not catch the mischief in her expression. The way he raced off to begin picking up the room told her he thought he had won. If there was one thing she could count on, it was his blind spot when it came to her. Anyone else, he would have seen right through. He could sense a con from a mile off, but not if she was the one doing it. Maybe he actually liked being tricked by her.

Sliding off the couch, Judy pranced out of the room and off to the bedroom. There were days she really loved that dumb fox…and others she loved reminding him he was dumb. Today was going to be the latter.

She walked into the bedroom and quickly changed into a long nightshirt, before climbing onto their bed. From there, she rolled to the far side on her stomach so she could reach her night stand. Digging through it in a hurry—knowing she only had seconds before Nick showed up—she found a book she had placed there.

Judy's ears shot up as she heard Nick approaching. He was already undressing, which meant he thought he knew what they were going to be doing. _He's going to be so mad._

Rolling over to face him, Judy kept the book behind her as Nick came bounding into the room, wearing only his boxers. It took all of her strength to keep from laughing at him, so she instead worked on perfecting her "come hither" look. Nick's grin told her she was getting better at it. The downside to using it against him was that sooner or later he was likely to get nervous when she wanted to be sexy. A problem for another day.

"You ready, Slick?" she asked, hoping he could not hear the effort she was putting into keeping her tone sultry, rather than giggly.

"I was pretty much born ready," Nick answered, hopping onto the bed beside her. "What'd you have in mind, Fluff?"

"I thought maybe we could explore the depths of some serious romance."

Nick blinked at her a few times. "That sounds overly fancy…but whatever a bunny wants, a bunny gets."

"So glad to hear it!" Judy exclaimed, slapping the book down on Nick's stomach. "I picked that up the other day and thought it would be so romantic if you read it to me. Originally, I was going to read it by myself when I was bored, but since you're volunteering…"

Nick's eagerness drained away until his half-shut eyelids hinted at some rather scathing things he wanted to say in reply. Clicking his tongue, he picked up the book and stared at the bare-chested male bunny on the cover. "You want me to read… Are you serious, Carrots?"

"Yep!" Judy could not help but wiggle her tail as she lay on her stomach, watching Nick skim the back of the book. "Romance novels aren't just for bunnies. Maybe that one is, but you're reading it _to_ me, so it all works out. I'll pick up a fox one when we finish this one. I might even let you pick it out."

"I…I don't even have words for this," he said, shaking his head as he stared at the cover again. "I can't even say the title without feeling like this is wrong. 'The Buck's Thorn'? Who writes this garbage?"

"Might I remind you I've checked your phone's search history?"

Nick's eyes widened again. "You're really going to do this to me, aren't you? Do you hate me?"

Slinking partway up onto his shoulder, Judy batted her eyelashes at him. "Would you rather do something else?"

"Quite literally almost anything."

"The way I see it, you have two choices, Nick. You can either cuddle and read me a trashy bunny romance novel, or you can go back in the other room and watch that awful movie by yourself. If you do watch the movie, I'll be in here reading this novel and imagining things with the hero of the story. If you read it to me, I'll have to imagine you in his place. Your choice."

Nick grumbled and shook his head sadly, opening the book. "Why do I never win when it comes to you? Fine. A dank day began…wait…dank? Who says dank these days? Ugh…"

Within minutes, Judy drifted from consciousness in his arms, the story forgotten as Nick stroked her ears. She honestly had no interest in the book, but had wanted to give Nick a little reminder that when she set her mind to something, he would never win. It seemed to have worked and so she relaxed to the sound of his voice and was soon dreaming peacefully.

Sometime later, Judy snapped awake as Nick shifted his positioning, nearly dropping her head onto the bed in the process. In her sleep-addled state, Judy briefly thought he had been asleep as well and had been unaware he had jostled her, but as she blinked in the brightly-lit room, she found Nick was wide awake, reading the book by the light of his cell phone.

"What time is it?" Judy asked, yawning. "I think I dozed off."

Nick looked at his phone and jumped a little. "It's…wow…almost midnight."

Judy sat up and shook off her sleepiness to try and figure out what was going on. To her surprise, Nick was halfway through the book. "Have you been reading the whole time?"

"Of course not," Nick lied, putting the book down on the bed. "I…okay…I might have read a little after you fell asleep. I couldn't sleep."

Taking the book from his paws, Judy realized he had folded the edge of several pages. When she tried to turn to those pages, Nick grabbed for the book, forcing her to roll to the side of the bed to block him.

"Are you taking notes?" she asked, turning to the first marked page. Blinking hard, she realized how raunchy that page was and wished she had known before handing Nick the book in the first place. Turning to the second, she found it was even worse. Judy instantly felt as though she needed to hide the book, lest anyone ever read it again and associate it with her in any possible way. Despite her desire to burn the book, she found herself staring wide-eyed at another marked page. "Sweet cheese and crackers, bunnies don't do that."

Nick put his muzzle on her shoulder, staring at the page. "I thought you could do anything you set your mind to?"

Glaring up at him, Judy closed the book. "I push my limits, but that would injure both of us. Mostly me. Nick, this is a book. It's all fiction. Don't get ideas."

"You handed it to me, Fluff. Clearly you're trying to tell me something. How is one little fox supposed to know what bunnies secretly crave?"

Judy scowled over her shoulder at Nick, and set the book on her nightstand. "We have to be up in a few hours for work. Get all that out of your head. I wasn't trying to tell you anything other than to read a book once in a while. If I was trying to tell you to do something different, I'd have whispered it in your ear or instigated it myself, not slapped you with a book."

Leaning over to put his arms around her, Nick lunged and grabbed the book before she could stop him. He quickly opened it as she tried to snatch it away, flipping to another of the marked pages. "What about that?"

Judy grumbled and looked at the page, her ears shooting up in surprise. He was not wrong, it sounded…interesting. "Keep fantasizing. You try that and I'll make you sleep in the hall."

"Fine, be that way." Nick flopped alongside her, and Judy did not have to look to know he was trying to put on a pouting act. "Maybe we can discuss it again later…"

"Maybe. Not tonight," she replied, rolling over so her back was to him. He immediately cradled his body against hers, making her feel entirely secure. "Goodnight, Nick."

"We'll come back to this tomorrow when you've had more time to think on it. My birthday is coming up soon."

"Your birthday is six months away. Your mother tells me everything. Everything."

Nick grumbled softly, before turning off the light from his phone. "Love you, Fluff. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. If you're half-asleep at work, I _will_ use that against you. I love you too."

For once, Nick kept his mouth shut and soon Judy could hear his breathing slow as he settled into sleep with his nose tucked under one of her ears. Despite the noise, being able to hear each breath was soothing and soon Judy drifted off as well, sending her into raunchy dreams straight out of the pages of her book, though with a fox taking the place of the main character.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.2 – Brief Respite

 **August 10** **th** **, Wednesday – ZPD Precinct One**

A blaring noise jarred Nick from his sleep and he reached for the alarm, intending to beat it into submission. Three smacks later, the noise continued and he looked around in confusion, realizing that it was only twenty minutes later than when he had closed his eyes. The clock read 00:08 and the alarm was not set to go off for more than five hours. Instead, the alarm sound seemed to be coming from two places in the room at once, making Nick's head spin as he tried to fully wake himself, even as Judy grumbled and tried to reach across him for the alarm.

Sitting up, Nick looked around until his attention fell on his cell phone, which was lit and flashing. Turning to look at Judy's nightstand, he saw hers was ringing as well.

"Judy," he whispered, shaking her slightly. "Wake up."

Grumbling again, Judy covered her face with her paws. "It can't be dawn yet and if you set the alarm to get me up early to try something out of the book, so help me, I will kick you onto the floor."

Nick snickered a little at the thought, but gave Judy another jostle. "Emergency alerts. It's not the alarm."

That seemed to cut through Judy's sleepiness, and she dove for her phone before Nick could grab his. In unison, they read over the message on both of their screens.

 _Terrorist attack in Podunk. More than 8,000 feared dead and thousands wounded. Further alerts will follow with updated death toll, as it is reported by the ZBI officials monitoring the incident._

Nick nearly dropped his phone. The region had never been at war in his lifetime and the idea of someone attacking more than individuals was all but unheard-of. Even Rolen's attacks weeks earlier had been targeted. This was something new and horrific.

Before Nick could say anything to Judy, another alert came in, this time with the ZPD logo attached to it.

 _All officers report in on your regular shifts. We will be briefing on the situation and coordinating response. At present, ZBI is handling all management of emergency relief in Podunk. For officers with family in that region, please call dispatch immediately. All others, attempt to get some sleep. –Bogo_

"I won't be sleeping," Judy said, slowly putting down her phone. "Not anytime soon."

"Me either." Nick pulled her alongside him as he lay back down. As silly as it sounded in his own mind, he really just wanted to convince himself she was safe. Judging by how tightly Judy clung back, she likely had the same thoughts.

A few hours later, they got up and went about their morning routine, though without the usual banter and pranks. Things were mechanical and hurried, the unspoken intent to get into the precinct that much faster and learn the full story.

Nick barely even noticed they were at the precinct without having spoken once. Normally, he would not give Judy a moment's peace until they walked into the precinct—where there was the nonsense rule about professional behavior—but they got showered, dressed, and made the entire subway ride in silence. It was unheard of for them to be quiet that long, even before they were living together.

By a few minutes after six, Nick, Judy, and nearly a dozen other officers had arrived. The bullpen normally filled by seven, but with the news, everyone was ready to get to work, even if they knew they were a little shy of two hundred miles from where the incident occurred.

Within five minutes of their arrival, Chief Bogo came marching into the bullpen, looking as though he had not slept, either. He waved vaguely as he reached the podium, not bothering with any of his usual formalities.

"I think we can all agree we're getting too old for this," Bogo announced, looking over the officers assembled. "Unfortunately, I don't have any information to provide, beyond what is all over the news. We've been shut out of this one by the ZBI, which seems to be their normal procedure the last few weeks. We are under orders to continue normal patrols, and will be informed if we can be of service. Personally, I think we can all agree that's a steaming load of—"

Bogo cut himself off as the door he normally used was opened. No officer should have been using that entrance, so every eye in the room turned as a slender, white-furred vixen in an expensive-looking suit marched up to Bogo and handed him a single sheet of paper.

Nick stared at the vixen in confusion. There was no other fox on the ZPD, so he had no idea who she was or why she thought she could barge into the meeting. He was so busy trying to figure out her reason for being there that he jumped a little when Judy elbowed him. Glancing at her, he found she was pointing below the desk at something else, her face as crinkled as his probably already was.

Bending over so he could see, Nick found there were actually two mammals who had come into the bullpen. The vixen was leading the way, but a brown-furred rabbit followed her, wearing an equally-expensive suit. The taller mammals could probably see him, but Judy and Nick were too short and had to either climb onto the table or lean under it as they had. From the corner of his eye, Nick noticed two more mammals in the hallway—both tigers in suits of a similar style to those worn by the rabbit and fox.

"Well that's just marvelous," Bogo muttered, crumpling up the paper he had been handed. He flicked it back at the vixen, bouncing it off her nose. She blinked, but did not flinch, though she did adjust her glasses. "It seems the ZBI will be taking over investigative efforts within the city, as well. The agents…no names on the sheet. What do we call you two?"

The vixen turned and casually strolled down the center aisle of the room, eyeing each of the officers as she spoke. "Senior Agent Snow. I'll be your liaison within the city. I'll be the one selecting, training, and assigning your officers as needed to my associate. He will coordinate any actions outside the city, should we need to deploy officers to Podunk or elsewhere."

Nick turned to Judy, who gave him a slight smirk and shrug. She made a slight flicking motion toward her ears and then tilted her head toward the bunny agent at the front of the room. Leaning a little, Nick studied the suited rabbit and realized why she was amused.

Suit and sunglasses aside, the buck had puffed up his chest with what appeared to be self-importance, and Nick wanted to slap him, even without him having opened his mouth yet. That aside, Nick saw that Judy was indicating a series of odd stripes visible on the rabbit's ears, down the back of his head, and at the cuffs of his suit. Nick had never heard of a striped rabbit and apparently neither had Judy. Sniffing, Nick could pick up the faint scent of fur-dye, usually used for accents or to restore color to aging mammals' fur.

"Are you quite finished critiquing my colleague?" asked Agent Snow, having appeared at Nick's side without him realizing she had moved back up the aisle.

"I…yeah…for now." Smirking down at her, Nick tried to regain his upper-paw, but Snow's humorless stare somewhat unnerved him. Had he met someone like her when hustling, he would have avoided her as anyone with such a cold glare was unlikely to fall for any of his tricks. "Yes. All done. Ma'am. Sir."

The vixen's eyebrow raised slightly, but that was all the reaction she offered before turning back to Bogo. "Very good. Chief, please clear the room. We only want the officers who had direct involvement with Rolen Ursius last month. Everyone else can go about their normal duties."

Bogo snorted and nodded at the room. Slowly, the majority of the officers stood up and walked out, leaving only Judy, Nick, Officer Cannus, Officer Spetz, and Chief Bogo where they had been initially. As the officers filed out, Nick watched Agent Snow intercept Fangmeyer and Delgato, leading both back to chairs at the front of the room near Nick and Judy.

"I didn't have any contact with him," Fangmeyer objected, rubbing at his shoulder the way he always did when Rolen was brought up or he thought no one was watching. Despite his objections, the tiger sat back down.

Clearing his throat, the rabbit agent stepped forward and finally spoke. His soft voice rather surprised Nick, making him wonder how young the buck was. At a guess, he was as young or younger than Judy's brother, Jack.

"You and Officer Delgato were both greatly impacted by his actions," the agent told them, smiling in what Nick guessed was supposed to be a reassuring way. It was a little too practiced to be sincere. "Your wounds were intentionally inflicted by Rolen's mammals. Delgato's mate—"

Nick and Judy both turned to stare at Delgato, whose face remained entirely devoid of emotion. The lion had barely said anything since his mate had been kidnapped, and most had assumed she had been rescued, given the lack of news. His slightly deepening scowl let Nick know things had ended gruesomely, though he doubted Judy would catch the subtle hints.

"—I forgot, I'm sorry," the rabbit went on, wincing as he checked a piece of paper extracted from his suit jacket. "That was confidential information and I missed the note. Regardless, you both have strong ties to the situation. Obviously, Wilde and Hopps, too, though they are here as a courtesy. Neither has the skills we are looking for here. Neither a bunny nor a fox should be getting involved this time, as this is somewhat out of their capabilities, both physically and emotionally."

Nick reached over and grabbed Judy by the arm as she prepared to hop down and go after the other rabbit. He held firmly, even when she swatted at his paw and whispered something about "teaching him a lesson."

"Not to be rude," Nick said, putting on his practiced swindling-smile. He kept his paw clamped on Judy's arm. "I don't believe we've gotten any introductions. If I'm not mistaken, we're looking at a bunny and a fox, who by your logic aren't qualified for this."

The white fox stopped alongside Nick and Judy's chair, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. "I already gave my name, Officer Wilde. If you can't be bothered to pay attention—"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard what you said," Nick told her dismissively, keeping his attention on the rabbit. Giving Snow any hint of respect would only feed her self-importance. Judy was calming down and he released her. "If you're Agent Snow, what's that make him? Agent Brown? Agent Stripes? Your name's clearly made-up, so I'm guessing his is, too."

Chief Bogo cleared his throat loudly and Nick glanced over, realizing the chief was trying to tell him he was pushing his luck. If one joke was all it took, Nick was already past the line and might as well continue. He doubted the chief really cared much about the opinions of the ZBI.

The vixen growled softly and dropped an envelope on the table near Delgato, before heading over to put another near Fangmeyer. "Given that you two are not qualified to go, I will not be providing any more information to either of you. You are dismissed. Please leave. I have no use for officers like you, Wilde."

Nick felt his ears and tail drop abruptly. Looking to Judy, he saw aghast shock in her wide eyes. They, with Bogo, had been responsible for bringing down Rolen. If the case was not closed, Nick certainly had expected some involvement on their part.

"With all due respect—" Nick began, cutting himself off as Snow rounded on him, her blue eyes as cold as her namesake.

"Our department owes yours no respect at this time," Snow snapped in reply, walking slowly back to the front of the room. She stepped between Bogo and the podium as though she did not see him, scrambling up onto the top so the room could see her. "We are without the key witness in a case that is far from closed. The ZPD failed to protect—"

This time, Judy was not slowed in the slightest when Nick grabbed her arm. She leaped to her paws and her tone told Nick she was just shy of yelling. "You listen here! It was your agent who shot Rolen, not ours! Shutting us out won't stop the investigation. All it'll do is make us hide it from you and solve it anyway, like we always do."

Snow's calm stare remained on Judy for several long seconds, before turning to Bogo. "Is this disobedient behavior something you endorse, Chief?"

"I support my officers absolutely," he replied, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Kick them out and they'll still be the first two at the finish line. You have my support only so far as you cooperate with us."

Agent Snow's scowl deepened as she turned her attention back to Nick. "Very well. They may hear the briefing. That changes nothing about the assignments we give—or do not give."

The rabbit at the front of the room straightened his back, raising his ears as he looked over the remaining officers. "We do need alternates if the first choices don't work out, and having these two available if we get truly desperate—"

"I'm starting to take offense," Nick cut in, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do we get to find out what's going on or not?"

Huffing, the rabbit agent walked over and placed a single packet in front of Nick and Judy. Nick allowed Judy to take it and begin paging through the pile of pictures and documents inside while he stared down Agent Snow, daring her to object again. Now, it was his personal mission in life to irritate that vixen as much as she had already irritated him. Judy would scold him later, but he no longer felt like he had a choice in the matter. One fox to another, this was well past the point of being rude. Biting her crossed his mind more than once.

"Open your briefings if you haven't already," Agent Snow told the officers, pointedly ignoring Nick. "The first document goes over our findings in Podunk. As you can see, the explosives used were highly sophisticated, and set off a chain reaction through the underground gas mains. The number of deceased has been announced formally as ten thousand eight hundred fifty-two. More lives will likely be lost as the wounded pass, but we are going to stick with that number."

"Why?" asked Cannus, still keeping his head down as he read. "Why aren't we telling the truth, if the number changed?"

Snow's muzzle twitched in annoyance. Nick was going to have fun ruining her day if it was this easy to bother her. "Simplicity. Announcing something horrible once upsets the public. Making it worse day by day compounds the problem. Can I continue?"

Nick raised his paw and smirked. Agent Snow grumbled and tried to look right past him, so he took it to mean she was acknowledging him. "Just to be clear…you want us to lie to the public? Normally I get in trouble for that, so I wanted to be sure that's what you're telling us to do. I'm usually allowed to if I'm under orders."

A faint grown from Snow let Nick know he was winning. He really liked this game, though it took all of his concentration to keep from looking to his right and meeting Judy's eyes as she glared at the side of his head.

Stepping forward, the rabbit agent brought up a Manilla folder he appeared to be reading as he began speaking. "Junior Officer Nicholas Piberious Wilde. Two written commendations on your file already, plus two incomplete reprimands. Yes, we save everything, chief, even if you believe you deleted them. Aside from that, a remarkably clear record."

"I try," Nick answered smugly, noticing Judy's ears were up. The expression on her muzzle hinted at him having done something stupid, like walking into a trap…

"Yes, I see that," the rabbit went on, stopping alongside Nick's chair. "I also see you were arrested nine times between ages fourteen and twenty-six for theft by way of deception. Each of those was under assumed names, keeping it off your permanent record. I'd have to say my personal favorite is Myflo Tayl, middle name Fie. Myflo Fie Tayl. 'My Fluffy Tail'. Marvelous. Tell me, officer, do you consider this situation to be a joke like you seem to consider most other things?"

Nick looked over at Judy and felt his smile begin to fade as she glared at him. So much for that game. He was going to have to be professional or she would make him suffer later. "I don't consider a bombing to be a joke. The way this is being handled is the joke, and I assume everyone here considers your partner's superhero name to be a bit of a joke. Carry on. I'll be good for a little while."

Reaching over, Nick took half of the packet from Judy to keep himself occupied as the rabbit agent made his way back to up stand beside Bogo's podium. The majority of the pages he was looking at contained analysis of the explosives used, which meant relatively little to him. What he instead focused on were pictures of the damage done. Page after page held images of twisted and damaged buildings, often interspersed with mangled bodies, or what Nick had to assume were what was left of bodies.

"Nick," Judy whispered, tapping her fingertip on the page in front of him. "That right there. It doesn't make sense."

Nick reread the section, coming away with little more than a chemical breakdown of the explosives. "What doesn't make sense?"

She leaned over, nearly swatting his nose with her ears, something she did routinely when too focused to notice. "The chemicals aren't just difficult to get. They're non-existent. As in, not made in decades, if not longer. This here, it's saying the shell casing was older than parts of the city."

"Please stop talking, so we can discuss as a group. I hope by now all of you recognize the seriousness of this," Agent Snow said loudly, clasping her paws behind her as she looked down over the officers from her perch atop the podium. "The last two pages in the dossier are ones you will want to keep. The rest we will collect after the briefing. The letter on the second to last page is purportedly from Rolen Ursius—"

"We were told he died," Fangmeyer stated dryly, looking up from his own packet. "Did he die because one of yours killed him, or was that a lie, too? I'd like to know which lies are which."

For the first time, Nick could see a bit of shame in Snow's expression as her ears and tail sank a bit. "He… That is… It's being investigated internally. At this time, we cannot comment beyond that. I can confirm Rolen received medical treatment for his injuries and that there was a shooting during the transfer. Anything more is confidential."

"You were the agent responsible for organizing the transfer," Delgato noted, tapping a sheet of paper. "You're here because you're cleaning up your mess. You failed to protect him, or you were the one who lost him. It doesn't take a detective to figure that out. Even if it did, we've got a few of those available."

Snow cleared her throat, and glanced around the room nervously. "Yes. You aren't wrong. Shall we do away with the nonsense of pretending this is a regular investigation and be blunt?"

A low rumble of agreement filled the room.

"Fine," she continued, taking a deep breath. "The ZBI is dealing with enhancing security in and around the city because of the threats in that letter, but we all know it was written before Rolen's capture. He has others working to keep his cause alive. The ZBI intends to use this as justification to annex the surrounding cities, including Podunk and Bunnyburrow, if only to ensure their safety—"

Nick glanced over at Judy, whose eyes were wide in surprise. Her nose did not even twitch.

"—while we take our investigation a particularly different direction. My junior agent and myself were tasked with resolving all loose threads in this situation. This case may take us beyond the city limits and we will need backup. The rest of the ZBI is concentrating its efforts here."

Nick studied the letter supposedly from Rolen and could not make himself take it seriously. The entire page read like a bad spy movie villain, talking about how he was going to inflict his revenge for all the wrongs his people endured, while carrying on about how the mammals of Zootopia would come to fear his name. Had the letter been a speech in a movie, Judy would have made Nick turn it off. Someone had added that phony letter to justify their own job. Nick had met Rolen and this was too cliché to be written by him.

Flipping to the last page, Nick took a moment to understand what he was seeing. A list of names ran down the left column, though all were clearly made up. The right side was filled with what Nick guessed to be phone numbers, but there were too many digits. On his cell phone, Nick quickly looked up fourteen-digit phone numbers and found that they were satellite phone numbers, rather than landlines or cell phones. The ZBI was apparently very serious about being able to reach their agents.

"Agent Snow?" Nick asked aloud and the grumble from the podium let him know she had heard him. "This doesn't list first names. Can I guess yours is Agent White Snow…no…Snow White…something like that? The fuzzball is just listed as 'Junior Agent.' I'm guessing I'm not supposed to call him Junior? What do we call him?"

Nick tried to ignore the death glare from both Snow and Judy.

"Officer Wilde," the rabbit with Snow said, marching back up to Nick's chair. "This is our final request. Keep quiet and show appropriate respect."

"Respect?" Nick asked, smirking down at the rabbit. "Some dumb bunny comes in here and tells us how to do our jobs, when we're the ones who _didn't_ screw up and you want respect?"

The agent's eyes narrowed and his nose twitched as he stared at Nick.

Nick could not make himself stop, even though he knew he had gone too far. "If you don't have a superhero name, can we call you Agent Stripes? Bouncy? I'm thinking we go with Humps. Maybe Zippy."

The rabbit's ears dropped and he pointed at the door out of the bullpen. "I don't have an agency name yet. Your assistance will not be needed, Wilde. Please leave. Thank you for your time."

Nick snorted and slid off the chair. He would have loved to hear more about the plan the ZBI had, but it was clear to him that this was more of a courtesy visit than an actual attempt to work with the ZPD. Once his paws were on the ground, he reached back to help Judy down, but her paw did not touch his. Looking back at her, he saw she was still standing on the chair, ready to listen.

"Carrots?"

Judy turned slightly and frowned at him. "I want to see if I can help, even if it is working with the ZBI. Go ahead and get back to regular duty. I'll see you tonight."

Nick had not even considered Judy might not follow him, but in hindsight he had talked his way out of spending the day with her. No one to be mad at but himself. Patting her hind paw, Nick hurried out the back of the bullpen and out into the lobby of the precinct. There, Clawhauser was waiting, leaned back in his chair, watching the bullpen.

"Nick!" Clawhauser called out, waving a paw. "Thought there might be more of you coming. I've got your assignment for today."

Taking a deep breath to ready himself for tedium without Judy to entertain him, Nick walked over to the desk and leaned on its edge while Clawhauser dug through a stack of files. "Benji, you know anything about these ZBI folks?"

"Not much," the cheetah replied, pulling out a file with Nick's name on it. "Bogo's always griped about them, but if it helps with the bombing…"

Clawhauser trailed off and wrinkled his nose a little. Sniffing, he leaned forward and then started looking around the lobby.

"Did I step in something?" Nick asked, checking the bottoms of his paws.

"No, not that." Clawhauser stood up and put both elbows on the desk so he could—somewhat rudely—sniff near Nick. "I…um…Bogo said we're not supposed to ask too many questions about your time off the last couple weeks."

"Right. We were both pretty beaten up. Got some rest and now we're both back."

"Both back this week on the same day. Also, the chief removed Judy's address from the employee log. I know you two were going out again, and the kiss on television was pretty convincing. Judy told us it was you acting, but…um...I don't believe it."

Nick's mood soured. He knew where this was going. "Yes, we're dating. That's no secret. I assumed everyone knew already. We're both professionals and we won't make it obvious on the job. I'm certain we're not the first officers to get caught kissing."

"Oh, right, right," Clawhauser answered, waving a paw dismissively. "When did she move in? Or did you move in with her? How does that all…I mean…a bunny and a fox…? No one's surprised you two are going out, but Pennington got us thinking about the—um—physical issues involved."

"It works the same as it does for every other mammal, just a bit more awkwardly." Nick took a deep breath. So much for keeping things quiet. "It's still against regulations, so I have to say I have no idea what you're talking about, unless we discuss it after work. Can we not have this conversation at work?"

"Of course!" Clawhauser slowly sat back in his chair, tapping his paws on his belly. "So you two've never fooled around in the precinct?"

Nick's ears and neck fur shot straight up in fear. "No. That'd get us fired. Never. Why would you even ask that?"

Shrugging, Clawhauser leaned to stare directly at the monitor on his desk. "Well, I do control all the precinct cameras…"

"Please. Please!" Nick pleaded, looking around nervously. "We might have gotten carried away one time after coming back, but we're good now. No reason to tell anyone. Why do you even care?"

"So…the first day you were both back?"

"Second. Can we drop it now, Benji?"

Giggling loudly, Clawhauser patted the desk excitedly and lowered his voice. "Spetz won the betting pool. Fangmeyer figured you two would make it a week before you broke regulations, but I was thinking since Judy's involved, and she likes sticking to the rules, maybe a month. Some of the officers thought a bunny would be the one to break the rules, while others said you seemed to be the pent-up one, so—"

"Benji, please don't say anything to anyone! It won't happen again. Bogo would kill us."

"Oh, you aren't the first to break that rule around the precinct." Clawhauser giggled again and shook his head. "Everyone gets their one slip-up. Bogo doesn't even care unless it happens more than once… It didn't happen more than once, did it? Did you know we put a camera in the janitor closet last year after we caught Officer Dingott and her boyfriend there?"

Nick backed slowly away from the desk, unable to make himself blink. The janitor closet camera footage would have to be found and destroyed. So long as they did not have cameras filming the inside of Judy's cruiser after-hours, he only had to track down a few clips from the precinct security footage. Whether Nick's face or something else gave it away, Clawhauser's grin widened.

"Oh em goodness! You two are terrible, but it's sooo adorable!" Clawhauser exclaimed, laughing loudly. "I don't think anyone will really care if you don't get caught. Anyway…your assignment?"

Nick snatched the file from Clawhauser and hurried away, not wanting to continue the conversation further. Opening it as he walked toward the motor pool, he came to an abrupt halt as he saw he was not on patrol, but on escort-duty around much of the city, though there were no other details on the sheet.

"Benji," Nick called over his shoulder, holding up the file. "Who's the escort? Don't tell me the mayor's doing another public image ride-along. You know I can't keep my mouth shut, and public relations aren't a good place for me."

"No, it's not the mayor," replied a female voice and Nick felt his heart and tail sink as he recognized it. "This operation is my junior agent's first, so I am having him perform the internal testing and training. Given that you volunteered to step aside, you were my first choice for escorting me through your normal patrol routes, Officer Wilde."

Turning, Nick found Agent Snow had managed to get within a few feet of him without him hearing her. At his glower, he caught her slight smirk as she adjusted her glasses, before folding her paws in front of her. Those cold blue eyes told him he could glare all he wanted, she neither cared nor would back down.

Behind Snow, the latest transfers to Precinct One—Cannus and Spetz—stood awkwardly, trying to look anywhere but at the two foxes bickering.

"So whose breakfast did I mark that I'm on your list?" Nick demanded, setting off toward the motor pool with Snow a few steps behind him. Faintly, he could hear the wolf and leopard following at a distance.

Snow chuckled as she kept pace with Nick. "That list is mostly confidential, but I can assure you it is lengthy and mostly filled with three-letter group names. We've been watching you for a while. You seem to upset nearly everyone you meet. It might be your most reliable trait."

Turning on his heel as they reached the doors out of the precinct, Nick managed to force Snow to stop abruptly, her eyes widening as he stood nose-to-nose with her. "If you're here to interfere with my job, don't joke about it. Try to go after my badge and I'll find a way to come right back. I don't like playing around and I don't like idle threats."

A smile slowly spread across Snow's muzzle. She let out a long and loud sniff. "At this distance, I can say I believe you've given me all the proof needed to take that badge, if I'd wanted to. I'd heard the rumors, but I believed them to be lies, even after installing surveillance equipment at Clawhauser's desk. A fox and a bunny? Not something we run into very often. Precisely never that I can recall. You are full of surprises and seem to play all manner of games with your own life, Wilde."

Nick looked past Snow at Spetz and Cannus, who appeared entirely unsurprised. Apparently he and Judy had been far less subtle than they had hoped. They had tried to pass off the kiss as a one-time thing, but no one seemed to be fooled.

"What's the point of this?" Nick asked, raising a finger to attempt to intimidate Snow, but she only smiled that much more with his claw near her nose. "You already said you don't want Hopps or I involved. Messing with me doesn't solve anything about this case. Shouldn't you be out finding who did it?"

"I already found who did it," she replied, cocking her head slightly. "A pattern of ash at the explosion site solved that mystery. We're more concerned with who had them do it. Do you even understand why you and your…partner…were excluded, or why we did it in front of the others?"

Snarling as he turned away, Nick stalked toward the waiting cruiser, while Snow walked calmly after him. He opted to ignore her entirely as he got into the car and went through his daily checklist. By the time he had finished and was ready to hit the road, Snow was just sliding into the passenger seat. A moment later, the other officers got into the back seat quietly.

Nick waited a minute to see if Snow would explain without his prodding, but her slight smirk and calm stare at the parking lot in front of the cruiser made it abundantly clear she was leaving the questions to him for the moment. Sighing, he slapped the wheel and turned to face her.

"No, I don't know why we were excluded," he growled at her, his annoyance growing as Snow slowly adjusted her head to watch him down the length of her muzzle, the way his mother had when he was young. "What I know is that right now, I'm playing chauffeur to a pain in the tail who's keeping me from spending my day with my partner. There's a reason the chief keeps us together. I don't play nice with the other officers, and I like them a lot more than I've liked my first few minutes around you and your partner."

Spetz cleared his throat, as if reminding Nick that he was there.

Snow smiled and nodded, taking off her glasses. "You work better with Hopps because you're in love with her. We do our homework before we come marching into a department, Wilde. What you think of my partner and I doesn't matter in the slightest. What matters is the two of you would not survive a week on this assignment. We aren't excluding you because you aren't capable…we're excluding you to protect you both. You are better off here. The two in the back seat will handle this far better than a fox and bunny who believe they are invincible."

"So what is this mystery assignment we can't go on, but another fox and rabbit can?" Nick asked, getting even more annoyed when Agent Snow motioned toward the car's keys impatiently. "And if we're not involved, why require me to drive you around the city?"

"All in due time, officer," she replied, leaning back in her seat and tapping her hind paws on the dashboard. "Either drive or we can move onto other topics. I would rather not get into your tax evasion, your mother's finances, or your adopted brother's antics. If you will not drive, those are next up. I assure you, I can fill the entire day with conversation of some sort, though I doubt you want the two in the back seat to listen in on that."

Nick could feel the other officers staring at him, and he had no desire to explain any of what Snow had just said. He had even less desire to confess to crimes he had committed before joining the force. Grumbling, he started the cruiser and began driving.

"Where to?" he asked as they pulled into traffic.

"Honestly, I don't care." Snow closed her eyes, folding her paws on her stomach. "Go about your day. I will be your backup for today. If we find anything interesting, the others will take point and you will stay with the car. I want to observe your performance and discuss a few things."

"Such as?"

"Your relationship with Hopps, for one." Snow kept her eyes shut, but Nick watched her ears go alert. She was trying to appear relaxed and keep him that way, too. "Are you able to keep your work life professional?"

"We're both highly-decorated officers."

Snow laughed softly and shook her head. "If your partner died in the line of duty and you watched it happen, what would you do when you were the arresting officer of the mammal that killed her? I read up on your handling of things with Rolen."

Nick kept his mouth shut.

"Officer Spetz?" Snow asked. "The same question as I posed to Officer Wilde."

"I'm single for a reason," Spetz replied. He gave Nick an apologetic look. "I don't like having anyone worried about whether I'm coming home. Broke off my last relationship when Rolen began killing mammals around town."

"Cannus?" Snow asked next.

Scowling, the wolf shook his head as he glared at Snow. "Guessing you already know I stopped dating a year ago after a suspect showed up at my house?"

"I do, but Wilde didn't." Snow finally opened her eyes, and smirked at Nick. "Only one mammal here is putting their personal life above their job. Only one mammal here was passed over for aiding the ZBI. Let's go back to the original question. If she died, what would you do, Officer Wilde?"

"Let's hope it never comes to that. Neither of us really wants to find out the answer. I wouldn't handle it well."

"And that," she replied, sitting up, "is why you are not on this mission. The ZBI is watching you two, but this is not for you. Those going on this mission need to be ready to lose everything. You are not ready for that."

Nick stayed quiet a long time. Soon, he pulled the cruiser onto the road, his paws clenching the wheel firmly. Finally, he could not keep from asking the question at the tip of his tongue. "What about you and Junior Agent Fluffball?"

Smiling as she sat back, Agent Snow shrugged. "We are ready for that kind of mission. That's all you need to know at this time. You may wish to keep your eyes on traffic. I believe that beaver is speeding."

Nick muttered to himself as he turned on the sirens and went after a small sedan that had blown past them.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.3 – Brief Respite

 **August 10** **th** **, Wednesday Night – Savanna Central**

Judy got home earlier than usual, though the apartment felt like someone else's without Nick walking in with her. The briefing had taken nearly the full day and left those attending with no paperwork to end the work day, allowing her to head home before Nick had even gotten back to the motor pool.

She had opted to leave Nick a note at his desk to let him know she would see him when he got in, but it still felt wrong to be in the apartment without him. Still, her day had left her feeling uneasy, and gaining a little extra time to mull over her thoughts was ideal. In doing so, she had managed to get a better hold of her concerns. Initially, she guessed them to be largely due to Nick's exclusion on their training and briefings, but by the time she had gotten home, she realized it had been more attributable to the ZBI rabbit's overly-friendly demeanor. She had known _far_ more forward bucks in the burrow growing up, but he had made it a point to be within arm's reach at all times. It was something she was going to have to put a stop to before Nick rejoined the team. Nick was not overly jealous, but their relationship was new enough she did not want to test his limits.

Shaking off the sense of oddness about her new home and the frustrations with her day, Judy tried to get back to her normal routine. Not having Nick standing there being sarcastic made it feel almost too easy, and within half an hour she had their laundry folded with two small dishes cooking in the oven—both of which were normally Nick's chores when he got home, largely because she hated handling the bug-based protein patties Nick liked far better than her vegetable meals. The one time she had cooked actual chicken at Nick's mother's urging, Judy had felt ill for hours, and it had somehow made even the bug patties feel a bit too alive for her tastes.

Judy soon found herself standing in the front room, watching the clock. Though it made her feel bad, she rushed to the bedroom and double-checked her phone to be sure she had not missed a call from Nick or the hospital. It was morbid to think that way, but they had been through a lot the last month and with him out of sight, she worried about him thinking he was slyer than he was. As she set the phone back on her nightstand, Judy heard Nick's footsteps in the hall and hurried back to the main room to greet him.

Bouncing on her toes eagerly, Judy felt her enthusiasm collapse as Nick opened the door, already grumbling. He stomped into the apartment, closed the door, kissed her on the cheek, and marched to the bedroom to change, muttering the whole way.

"Rough day?" she asked, following a few steps behind as Nick reached the bedroom and began tugging at his tie. When he looked too frustrated to actually deal with the knot, Judy slapped at his paws until he let her remove it, lest he end up tearing at it with his claws out of frustration. "I take it you and Agent Snow did not hit it off?"

"She's an arrogant and pushy bitch," Nick said, then frowned even more deeply as he finally turned his attention to Judy. "I'm sorry for the language. No, it didn't go well. Apparently my instincts for criminal behavior suck, my driving needs work, my body language is subpar, and I need to iron my uniform more thoroughly. I'm sure there's a few hundred other things I do wrong, but those are the ones that come to mind. Incidentally, Spetz and Cannus excel at all of those things."

Judy finished untangling Nick's tie and set to work unbuttoning his shirt, which had its intended effect, calming him down instantly. "Your instincts are fine. Your driving does need work. You've mentioned that yourself. You were a con-artist for years, so I doubt your body language needs any real changes. Your shirt was fine, but your pants needed ironing, since you refuse to ever iron them."

"I sit on them all day, Fluff. Ironing them is doomed to failure."

Judy smiled and tugged Nick's shirt off, tossing it into the laundry basket. "It's only for a few days and those two will be gone again. You've put up with worse company. On the upside, I don't need to worry about you running off with the newest vixen in your life."

Snorting, Nick hugged her, and took a steadying breath. "No, you really don't need to worry. She certainly didn't tell me they were leaving anytime soon. I take it Junior Agent Zippy gave you more information about their plans?"

"Funny thing, Nick." Judy looked up at him, batting her eyelashes and grinning. "Being nice and playing along gets you far better results. The junior agent—who has not yet picked his cover name, since he just finished training last week—was happy to tell the rest of us the plan. They want to scour the city for anyone Rolen left behind, and we know the city's inner-workings better than the ZBI. I might even be able to get them to let you join me on my first joint task tomorrow, if you behave yourself."

"You hate it when I behave myself," he said, tickling the base of her ear with his fingertip. "Besides, who's misbehaving? I wasn't the one undressing you as I walked in the door."

Doing her best to look innocent, Judy backed away and put a paw to her chest. "That's misbehaving? Well, as your better half, I guess I need to stop doing that. Regulations, officer. Can't have the ZPD's finest causing trouble, or encouraging a grumpy fox."

Nick watched her suspiciously, the gleam in his eyes belying the scowl he still kept fixed on his muzzle. "Okay, maybe it's not misbehaving for a bunny, but we foxes are more restrained in our—"

Judy burst out laughing without meaning to, and quickly covered her mouth as Nick's eyes went wide.

"Are you…you're saying I have no restraint?" Nick asked, ears and tail drooping. Judy knew that act too well to fall for it.

"I'm saying you're a troublemaker, even at home."

"Oh. I see." Nick put both paws on his hips, and looked past Judy at the front room. "I guess I should stop joking around and cause some trouble, if that's my job here."

Judy braced herself, knowing where this was going. She had instigated this particular game several days prior and Nick seemed entirely unable to resist playing along. To say that the game sort of wrote itself was probably speciesist in some way, but Judy did not really care. The banter was always different, but the end result was the same. Any second—

Nick leapt into motion, gaining speed far quicker than Judy could from a standstill. She had known it was coming, so she took off running, cutting the corner to the hall sharper than he could. They ran out into the main room and Judy leapt sideways, using the couch to bounce out of Nick's reach as he lunged for her. They made a full circuit around the room with Nick losing ground to Judy's more nimble use of the furniture, but in the small apartment she had only so many places she could run.

Taking off on all fours back down the hall, Judy almost made it to the kitchen before Nick closed the gap and tackled her, rolling her onto her back on the floor outside the bedroom. He was careful not to fully land on her, though he planted both front paws on her shoulders to keep her from getting away again as they both lay there, panting.

"Fox wins again," he said, grinning as he nuzzled her cheek. "I think we need a bigger home if we're going to keep playing that game. Gotta give the cute little bunny a chance to get away."

"Who said I wanted to?" Judy answered, licking his nose playfully. "I'm not sure you fully understand the purpose of this game, Nick."

"I understand perf—is something burning?"

Judy squeaked and kicked Nick off of her, sending him tumbling. Running on all fours, she raced into the kitchen and frantically pulled on oven mitts. Even without opening the oven, she knew the turnip dish was going to taste a little burned. The mock-meat pie for Nick smelled as bad as ever to her, but she guessed it was equally singed. She yanked both out of the oven as fast as she could, putting the steaming dishes on the stovetop to cool.

A second later, the apartment's smoke alarm went off and Judy's shoulders and ears dropped like a lead weight as she stared at the blackened edges of both meals. Somewhere behind her, Nick had already opened a window and had begun waving towels at the smoke detector to quiet it down.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said softly, shaking her head as she poked the crispy edge of the turnips. "I thought I was paying attention…"

Once the smoke detector had gone silent, Nick wandered into the kitchen and put his arms around her. "No harm done, Fluff. It'll still be amazing. Years living alone, you'd be amazed the things I did to food."

"No, Nick, it's really burned." Judy knew tears were coming, but she fought for all she was worth. The last thing she wanted after Nick had a hard day was to incinerate dinner.

Reaching past her, Nick picked off a chunk of the less-charred section of food and tasted it. "Tastes wonderful. Even got rid of the faint bug aftertaste. You worry too much. Go relax. I'll get things finished up and bring them out to the couch.

Judy grumbled a little, but kissed Nick's cheek as she slipped out of his arms. She got as far as the doorway when she realized the dish he had sampled had not been the bug protein pie—he had tried the turnips. He was a better liar than she gave him credit for when he set his mind to it, or things were burned worse than she had thought. Either way, he was being sweet and she appreciated it.

Making her way back to the front room, Judy tried to decide what to do. The whole point of preparing things before Nick got home was to spare him having to do chores he got grumpy about on his best days. Once he got done cheering her up, he was likely going to be headed right back to being upset about Agent Snow. Judy needed something to cheer him up and burned food was not going to cut it.

By the time Nick emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming plates—neither of which Judy could fully identify—she had arranged a blanket on the couch for them, gotten herself under it, had the television on, and a movie queued up.

Nick hurried over and started to offer her one plate, reversed them, and then winced and reversed them again. "I think I got that right. Don't tell me you're up for bad movies again? Thought we'd moved on to other hobbies. Shouldn't we be going to some store that sells books so we can find something sufficiently dirty?"

Grinning up at him as he slid under the blanket, Judy hit Play on the remote. The few seconds it took for the movie to start gave her a chance to eye her food skeptically without Nick noticing.

"Star Warthog's Holiday Special?" he asked, nearly dropping his plate on her lap. "That's the worst movie I've ever seen. I swore I'd never make you watch that sober. They just make ape noises for the first twenty minutes. Finnick made me watch it on a bet. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but still."

Judy nibbled some of her food and winced. Either the turnips were burned beyond recognition or she was eating bugs. Neither was okay. Reluctantly, she slid the plate over onto the microwave where Nick would forget about it. She forced herself to ignore that she was still hungry, and curled up against his chest.

"I…I really don't think I can watch this sober, Fluff," Nick admitted less than thirty seconds into the movie. He leaned over her and put his own plate onto the microwave, still mostly-full. "Have you actually seen this thing? This might actually be worse than my work day."

"Nope, I haven't," she admitted. That was her cue and she dug around under the blankets for what she had hidden in the cushions of the couch. "How bad could it be?"

"This movie could actually cause brain damage. Finnick watched the whole thing sober on a dare. Just look at how he turned out. I don't think he sobered up for almost a month."

"So you would say this is the worst movie ever?"

Nick's nose settled between her ears, hinting he was probably staring at her. "Yes. Why?"

Raising her right paw, Judy showed Nick the romance novel he had read the night before. "Worst movie ever. Page eighty-six."

Jumping a little, Nick grabbed the book and started paging through it. "Huh. Sure enough. Worst movie ever is a perfect excuse for romance. If we're going by the story, we would also need—"

Judy sat up and lifted her other paw out from under the blanket so Nick could see the bottle of scotch she had found under the couch when the movers had swapped the old one out.

"Did you just pull scotch out of thin air? I'll admit I'm a little turned on now," Nick said, his attention back on the book. "That's all the story says this requires. I might have been half asleep, but I swear you said—"

"It's your birthday, right?" she asked, grinning up at him. "If you want to argue, I'll be happy to put the book away until next year."

Nick laughed and set aside the book before taking the bottle from Judy, placing it on the floor nearby. "I don't want you to think I don't appreciate this, but can I admit to something without you laughing?"

Rolling onto her knees, Judy stared up at Nick, more than a little worried. "Yes?"

"After a day of being angry at someone and not having you around to talk me down, I really would rather just curl up and…you know…cuddle. Like, actually cuddle."

Judy smirked at him, but gave him a firm hug. "I'll let you win just this once, Slick."

Pulling her close, Nick whispered near her ear, "Best partner ever."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.4 – Brief Respite

 **August 11** **th** **, Thursday – Tundratown**

"You can stop pretending like this isn't punishment," Nick grumbled, wiggling his toes to try and keep some feeling in them. He had been standing in snow up to his ankles for nearly an hour, and there was no indication things would change soon. Even with his heavy ZPD jacket on, he could not feel his ears and tail anymore. "Just have Bogo write me up or something."

Spetz and Cannus stood to either side of Nick, both shivering in the chill wind that whipped down from the walls of the district. They both turned angry looks from Snow to Nick.

Leaning close, Officer Cannus whispered, "If we're being punished because of you, during the next precinct boxing match, I will hurt you. I'm willing to risk Hopps's wrath. She might beat me senseless, but you're going down first."

Stopping near the front door of the fourth boarded-up building they had passed since leaving their cruiser, Agent Snow turned and stared at Nick in confusion for a moment, blinking and twitching her whiskers with her tail wagging. "Sorry, I forgot you were here, Wilde. You should contribute more to this if you expect me to release you to regular duties anytime soon."

"Contribute?" Nick gestured vaguely at the building, while pushing Cannus away with his other paw. "It's abandoned. The last few were abandoned. That's all I know. You haven't told me anything since we left the precinct. I'm assuming this has something to do with the case, but I have no idea how. The attack was in Podunk, not Tundratown. The bomber died and wasn't even from Zootopia. Nothing about what happened leads me here."

Agent Snow straightened and slid her paws into her pockets. Unlike Nick and the other two officers, she seemed entirely relaxed in the bitter winds. "You are being stupid, officer. Try harder or we will be out here all day. For now, let the professionals do their jobs. Cannus? Any scents in the area?"

Carl Cannus stepped forward and sniffed, the same way he had at the last few buildings. "Nothing again. No one but us has been around here in a while."

Without prompting, Spetz knelt in the snow and looked around. "The snow pack is undisturbed. There's no sign the snow has filled back in over any prints. The only mammal bumbling around leaving an obvious trail is Wilde."

"That was helpful," Snow told the two officers, smiling graciously. "Unlike Wilde, you're both pulling your weight here."

Nick kept his attention on Snow, trying to ignore the smug posturing by the others. "Immensely encouraging. Thanks. When my tail falls off, I'll send Judy your way for an explanation. Good luck with that."

"Officer Wilde, what I'm trying to say is that you're looking at this all wrong." Snow stopped where she was and looked around at the buildings nearest them. "What can you tell me about all of these structures?"

"They're all abandoned. And cold. Probably still warmer on the inside than where we're standing."

"You're stating the obvious. What makes these ones different from others in the district? Your fellow officers have given you clues."

Nick growled and studied each building nearby. They were boarded up, and far smaller than most modern structures in the city. Given the population, small buildings were somewhat rare, as were houses for individual families. "Old? Probably why they're abandoned. I'm actually surprised they weren't torn down and rebuilt as condos or apartment complexes."

Nodding, Snow slid her glasses out toward the end of her nose and looked down her muzzle at him. "What else?"

The stone exteriors of the buildings gave Nick very little to go on. He started to focus in on the stone itself—not a common construction material, at least in Tundratown given how poorly it held temperatures—but then realized that he could see security glass behind all of the boarded windows. More importantly, if no one had come by in days, they were not only abandoned, they were also isolated for some reason.

"The boards are for show," he noted, mostly ignoring the smirk Snow gave him. "These buildings aren't homes. They're supposed to look abandoned, but someone wants them kept very secure. Guessing the front doors are reinforced."

"Much better." Snow walked up the path to the nearest building's door and kicked it. The solid thump confirmed Nick's suspicion. Both Spetz and Cannus stood up straight, giving the structure a fresh look. "I do find it interesting that you noticed all the subtle details, and yet were oblivious to the ones that a child would see. Tell me, are you the sort to remember your partner's favorite color, movie, and music, while entirely forgetting her birthday? You may be the worst excuse for a fox I've met, given your oversights. How did you survive as a kit, let alone a hustler?"

Nick took a deep breath to calm himself, but mostly just managed to freeze his lungs. Coughing, he stomped one hind paw and threw up his arms. "I've had it! All you do is insult me! What is your problem, Snow? Don't like the ZPD? Don't like your fellow foxes? Do I look like one of your exes? Why not bring along a different punching bag for a day?"

Spetz began jabbing Nick in the shoulder, but he was in no mood to pay attention.

A slow smile spread across Agent Snow's face. "I wondered how long that would take. After your behavior yesterday morning in the bullpen, I'd guessed you were one to criticize others, with no ability to deal with it yourself. If you are ready to act like a professional, I will moderate my commentary. If not, I can assure you I can keep this up for days before I grow tired of it."

"Fine," Nick said, grumbling as he put his paws back in his pockets. He shot Spetz a sharp glare and the leopard let his paw drop. "I'll stop harassing you in the bullpen and try to be nicer to you in general."

"My partner, too, Wilde."

Nick had hoped Snow would not catch that. "I draw my line in the sand at being nice to someone without a name. When he picks his superhero name, I'll try."

Snow's eyes narrowed. "I understand your concerns, Wilde, but that is the last time I want to hear you referring to our ZBI aliases as 'superhero names'. We have aliases to protect family or friends. You, of all mammals, should understand after Rolen went after your family. Had you been under an assumed name, your mother would have been far harder to track down."

The fight went out of Nick instantly and his shoulders sank. "Okay. Now I get it. I just don't know how to talk to you two without first names."

"That's rather the point," she explained, coming back down the steps as she spoke. "We're not supposed to be friends with anyone. We're supposed to do our jobs. I've heard the nicknames you give others. It's endearing, but also means if they die, you will feel that loss of attachment clearly. The ZBI doesn't have that option. We're doing the jobs the ZPD won't. No first names, no nicknames, no friends. My partner is actually my partner unlike you and yours, though _that_ would be allowed, so long as it did not compromise our work. You should listen to how officers Spetz and Cannus talk to each other. Professional. Succinct. Emotionless. Learn to be like them, and I would have far less to use against you."

Cannus and Spetz exchanged glances and shrugged.

Sighing, Nick asked, "And you think my involvement with Carr…um…Judy compromises my work?"

"You tell me, officer." Snow crossed her arms and cocked her head, watching him. "All morning, you've been wondering where she is and what she's doing, instead of trying to figure out why we are going building to building. Now that you are paying attention, can you tell me what all these buildings have in common, and possibly why we are looking at them, or do I need to bring her into the conversation more often to keep you on task?"

Nick forced himself to concentrate and put aside his annoyance at what still felt like a waste of a day. "All the buildings were on one side of the district."

"Correct."

"The two I can see from here both have security glass and solid doors. I'm guessing the others do, too."

"Also correct."

"All of them are…they're all against the district wall." Nick stopped and looked along the row of buildings, not waiting for Snow to confirm his statement. They were all set with their backs built flat against the district wall, towering high overhead. When he leaned back, he could see clouds of snow rushing past overhead from the wall's cooling system. "All of them are between the vents. None are on a wall without venting. There's no similar buildings anywhere on the other walls that I can remember."

"Now, you're thinking about this properly, Wilde. Why would there be secure doors at the base of the wall?"

Scrunching up his muzzle, Nick tried to reason his way through things. He turned to face the west, following the line of the district's southern wall. Glancing back east on the south wall, he spotted a large city building several blocks away that provided service access to the wall. "Storage maybe? The weather systems should be accessible elsewhere. The only other thing I've ever heard of that might explain it—" Nick glanced over at Snow and she actually smiled slightly. "—was Rolen claiming the walls had other purposes long ago."

"Most of the entrances were closed and sealed," she answered, tilting her head toward the building they still stood in front of. "We were looking for the correct one. In case of war, every district maintains one entrance, though the last few mayors have done a fine job of losing the paperwork on which entrance it might be. Lionheart knew the general area, but not which building. I had to listen to that imbecile's blathering for nearly two hours to even narrow down where in the district the entrance might be."

Clearing his throat to draw attention, Spetz nodded toward the stone building. "You're saying this dates back to the last war? That's generations ago."

Snow shrugged. "I said no such thing. If you want to infer that, the ZBI has no reason to correct you."

"Why Tundratown?" Nick asked. "Couldn't we have gone to another district?"

"Absolutely." Snow padded up to the door again and looked back at him. "I prefer the weather here. Also, yes, I was punishing you, so I dispatched agents to the other districts. The other officers were willing to accept whatever training I offered. You would take coming here personally, which was my goal. Are you coming?"

Nick stayed where he was until Snow produced a key from her lightweight jacket and unlocked the door. He maintained a low growl all the way to the door, following her into the dark room beyond. Spetz and Cannus trailed a few steps behind.

"Cover your eyes," Snow warned Nick, though he had trouble picking out where in the room she might be.

"Why do I need to—?"

Lights came on in the room with a flash, blinding Nick and making him wish he trusted others enough to just do what they said the first time. He blinked rapidly, soon making out faint shapes around him, including a white blur he guessed was Agent Snow. The other two officers were already past him and exploring the room.

"Old lights," Snow said, walking around piles of boxes. "The way they flare tends to blind nocturnal mammals. We used to use them to surprise recruits during training."

"What kind of training is improved by being blinded?" Nick still could not quite make out details, but his eyes had adjusted enough that he could navigate through the room after Snow.

"Martial skills. Turn on the lights and then the recruit has to defend themselves. By that point, most of them can at least make a show of fighting back. Only about half are unconscious before their vision clears. Cannus seems to be handling it just fine. If I were recruiting you, I would have had a few larger mammals waiting to ambush you after you failed to follow my directions. Thankfully, you are not my problem."

Nick grumbled and rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he cautiously followed the others. "You're messing with me. Now that I know you do things like that, I know you're screwing around. No one would train recruits that way."

Agent Snow looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, wagging her tail as she made her way to the back wall. "It's not much farther."

"Do they train ZBI agents to be evasive, or did that come naturally?"

"A little of both." Snow stopped at a metal door set into the stone rear wall of the building. "I'm assuming you were not implying I'm evasive or manipulative simply because I'm a fox?"

"Nick is, but that's because he's an ass," Cannus added, before shifting his attention to the walls of the room when Nick glanced his way.

"All mammals have their talents, even if Judy keeps reminding me we can be more than what we were born as. Sly fox isn't just a nickname, it's—" Nick lost his train of thought as Snow kicked a small box almost under his foot, which he had to avoid tripping over. "What gives?"

"Most of the time when someone begins bragging about their slyness, they aren't paying attention to anything but themselves." Snow began testing several keys on a ring in the door lock. "You bragged, so I decided to see if you were going to look like an idiot when you fell. Congratulations on passing the most basic test I could think up."

Nick stopped where he was and glowered at the grinning wolf and leopard with them. "Laugh it up, you two. That pain in the tail is training the two of you. I'm just the escort and you see how she treats me. You're both doomed."

Snow smirked as the door lock clicked. "I have different training in mind for those two, as they actually follow orders. I'm doing Chief Bogo a favor by trying to get you in line, Wilde. Hopps might even thank me for house training you."

"That's your job when you're not investigating bombings? Training recruits and pissing off the more rebellious?"

"Who said that was part of my job?" Snow asked, putting away her keys. Reaching into the room beyond the door, she flicked a switch and lights began to flicker in what appeared to be the bottom of a staircase. Without waiting for Nick, she headed for the stairs as she continued. "We have more agents on this than the two you've met. Bomb experts are working on the scene itself. Profilers are combing through the records of anyone who might have helped set this up. Trainers are working with Fangmeyer and Delgato. It's all part of our standard procedures."

Elbowing Nick, Cannus whispered, "Standard procedures. You wouldn't understand."

"Bite me," Nick snapped back, barely keeping his temper under control. "Don't encourage her."

"Not my job to bite you," Cannus answered, before hurrying after Snow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick called after the wolf.

"He's saying he's no bunny, and probably too tall for your tastes." Spetz gave no hint of humor in his tone, making the remark that much more annoying for Nick.

Sighing, Nick walked to the stairs and looked up, seeing a spiraling staircase that went up a hundred feet or more before passing the last lights. "We're not even looking for the culprit? Also, you said it wasn't much farther. Is anything you tell me the truth?"

Snow stopped at the first turn in the staircase and watched Nick emotionlessly until he began climbing, while Cannus stopped beside her. "Not much farther to the stairs. Much farther to where we're going. And no, we're not looking for a criminal. If we find one, wonderful, but that is not our job. Our task is to find out how this was done and to use that information to form a better plan of action for the future. Your specific task is to convince me that the ZPD is not incompetent. So far these two and even your partner have done a far better job at that. You should be careful. You could wind up doing paperwork for the rest of your career."

Nick rolled his eyes and continued marching up the steps after Snow, with Spetz right behind him. "Judy's the best there is. I'm not even going to pretend that I think I can outdo her on anything other than cards and drinking."

"That's entirely not what I meant, Wilde. You should be careful in general."

Nick managed to keep his mouth shut for another few circuits around the staircase, before he had to ask. "I should be careful of what? That she'll show me up at the annual potluck? That she'll actually learn how I cheat at cards—not that I cheat at cards, just hypothetically—and beat me? She's certainly not going to drink me under the table anytime soon, unless my liver finally calls it quits."

Coming to a stop above him, Snow leaned over the rail of the stairs to look down at Nick. She waved Cannus past her, and he soon vanished around the next turn in the staircase. "You are a wonderfully naive mammal, Wilde. Let me ask you this: how many does has my partner taken home since he started on the job last month?"

"Who cares?" Nick asked in reply. "A buck with no name to give? I'd be kind if I said one. No one falls for a nervous bunny with fake stripes and no name."

"Eleven," Snow said firmly, and Nick could not see any hint that she was lying. "Don't ask me how he does it, but I've worked with two other bunnies in my career. Both were the same. How long do you think this will really last for you?"

Nick swallowed hard. This was not something he really wanted to think about, especially with Judy assigned to work with the junior agent. "Don't think I haven't worried. I trust her, though. She says she loves me, and I know I love her. We're not too serious yet, so it doesn't matter. Do we really need to talk about this?"

"No, we don't _need_ to." Snow leaned fully on the rail and shook her head slightly. "You have a career ahead of you, Wilde. I see it getting sidelined the moment she—how shall I put this—makes a poor decision. We are not bunnies, and they are not foxes. There are differences we can't entirely make up for with love alone."

Beside him, Spetz said softly, "She's not entirely wrong. I dated outside my species once. Didn't end well."

"Shut it," Nick snapped at Spetz, before returning his attention to Snow. "I really don't think this is appropriate work talk, Agent. Can we get back to work?"

Snow did not appear to even consider letting the topic drop. "This is important. We foxes may not have the best reputation, but I do worry that you're putting yourself in a position—"

"Stop!" Nick said firmly, and to his surprise Snow's jaw snapped shut. Spetz went rigid, as though ready to restrain one of them, if needed. "This is none of your business at all. I don't even know why you're being so insistent about telling me what you think. So far, I'm assuming it's because you're a raging bitch, but I'll reserve judgement. Judy and I are fine. I trust her with Agent Zippy, and anyone else she's training with."

"Does that trust go both ways?"

"Yes. We trust each other."

Snow began walking slowly down the steps toward Nick. "I may have misjudged, and if so, I am sorry."

"It's fine," Nick lied, shivering a little at the implications Snow had all too clearly impressed on him. The thoughts were not new, but having a stranger voice them made Nick's own worries feel that much more valid. "We had a rough couple months and I'm a bit touchy about the topic. We're good. Nothing to worry about, and it will not alter my work performance. I don't expect others to really understand."

Walking up to him, Snow stopped a little closer than Nick was entirely comfortable with. To his surprise, she smelled faintly of some flowery perfume—lavender mixed with something else. He barely had a chance to think about the scent before Agent Snow gave him an abrupt hug that startled him. Even more disturbing, she made a point of rubbing her neck against his, instantly putting him on-guard.

Nick looked to his left and found that Spetz's usual almost sleepy expression had broken and the leopard stared at Snow and Nick with wide eyes.

"I do like to check the confidence of those I work with," Snow explained, stepping away and adjusting her glasses. "I'm thrilled there is no risk to your work performance if your partner smells you were with a vixen. That would be awkward if she did have an issue with it."

Nick tried to quickly dismiss the comments. "That actually would probably… You did not just… Dammit! What is your problem? You knew about Silvia, didn't you?"

"The agency knows a lot more than you think about both of you, Wilde. Perhaps we should get moving. You'll want enough time to clean up at the precinct before going home tonight. A touch of perfume is easy enough to cover up. I look forward to observing both of you tomorrow to see how this pans out. My fellow agent—Zippy, I believe you called him—placed a wager on how much trouble a simple hug might cause. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and assured him I would need to sleep with you to cause lasting issues."

Openly snarling—something not only considered beneath most mammals, but outright illegal when done in public—Nick grabbed Snow by the arm, stopping her as she began ascending the stairs again. "Do not threaten Judy or me. Are we clear?"

Spetz lunged, ready to take Nick to the floor, but Snow raised one paw and halted him.

Agent Snow very deliberately lowered her gaze to her arm, and then back to Nick's face. "I'm glad to see you standing up for yourself, officer, but if you don't remove your paw right now, I'll remove it myself. I only give one warning. The next time you touch me without invitation, we will be studying exactly how deficient the ZPD's paw-to-paw combat training is."

"You hugged me without my invitation. Maybe I'm done playing the little ZBI games."

Twisting sharply, Snow was out of Nick's grip and had his arm locked behind his back before he could react. "I did warn you, Wilde. We have work to do. I would rather not waste the day sending you back to the hospital, and the paperwork would be bothersome. Are we quite finished yet?"

Nick strained to pull his arm free, but Snow had a solid grip on him. Despite being nearly a full head shorter, there was no way to move that would free him without dislocating his shoulder. The only way he could find to free himself would be to sweep her legs, but that would only escalate things far past what was necessary. One or two days more and he could be rid of her. He had more concerns about what Spetz might say later than what Snow would do.

"We're finished," he said, grumbling as she released him. Without another word, Snow began climbing the stairs again and Nick had little choice left but to follow.

"What was that about?" Spetz asked, once they had fallen in behind Snow and Cannus. "I haven't even been with the precinct long and I know that wasn't you."

Nick snorted and shook his head. "She's a button-pusher. After all the drama with Rolen and my ex, Silvia, she knew what would make me afraid."

"What Snow says doesn't change anything about you and Judy."

Nick knew he was supposed to keep discussions of their relationship far from his coworkers, but there was little harm left in it after Snow's meddling. "I know. Trust me, I know. That doesn't make me worry any less. I've got half the city still sending Judy and I letters telling us that we're disgusting and that we're the reason morality's falling apart these days. We're coming up on a hundred church flyers, inviting us to come back to faith."

"We both know you aren't to blame for anything, either." Spetz grabbed Nick's arm and slowed him. "You two are a great couple, Wilde. After what happened at Mister Big's place, Officer Cannus and I will be among the first to speak up for you. Don't forget that. We both saw the love between you two, and how you were willing to sacrifice to protect her, even from yourself."

"I don't need cheerleaders, but I do appreciate it."

"Then what do you need to not let Snow get to you?"

Nick looked up the staircase, catching a glimpse of Snow's white paw on the handrail almost two floors above them. "I need confidence that I'm not going to lose Judy for a stupid reason. I don't have that yet. It'll take time. We're just not there yet."

"If anything comes of Snow's gimmicks, I'll happily talk to Hopps for you," offered Spetz, giving him a rare smile. "I saw everything. Hopps is smart enough to see through this. You have witnesses to vouch for you."

"Thanks. It means a lot."

"Good. You owe me a beer."

They continued up into the wall for another twenty minutes in silence, until Snow and Cannus stopped at another door like the one at the base of the staircase. The stairs kept going, though the lights ended twenty feet past where they were, making Nick wonder what more lay beyond.

"This should be mostly historical items that you are required to keep quiet about. Disclosure of anything seen here is a criminal offense," Snow warned them, her paw on the door handle. "Given that the outer door was still locked, I doubt we'll find anything related to the case, but we must explore every option. Look for anything out of place."

Nick nodded and waited as Agent Snow found the correct key and unlocked the door. As it swung open, she led the way, drawing a small handgun from her jacket.

Walking after her with the other ZPD officers, Nick was decidedly unimpressed with the first glimpse of the room, illuminated by several dim bulbs. He had expected some grand secret—especially after Rolen's claims—but found himself entering a huge room filled with wooden boxes, some as small as his paw and others large enough he could have fit his couch inside. Some had rotted from the moisture leaking through the stone walls, though most were still intact.

Once everyone was inside, Spetz and Cannus split off to search one part of the room, while Snow wandered off another direction. That left Nick alone, which suited him, as he was not even part of the investigation.

Nick slid his paws into his pockets and began meandering around, while Snow raced from one row of boxes to the next. The first few boxes he passed were unmarked, leading him to wonder if they were in the wrong place. Turning into the next row, he stopped as he came upon a huge box that had partially-broken, revealing a cannon large enough to fire a rhino.

"He wasn't lying?" Nick asked, blinking as he began to reevaluate the other boxes. "The walls were for defense during a war? The city really has been hiding this?"

Snow stopped her quick darting around the room, and moved to one of the long walls. Touching a faint outline where the stones did not quite match, she nodded. "The cannons could be wheeled into position on either side from here. Attackers might be able to breach one of these stations, but each was designed to be independent of the others. Rolen was telling the absolute truth, tainted with his viewpoints—the same way he does almost everything. Enough truth that any investigation will prove him correct. Knowing what I do about him, he likely wanted you to go to the media with his claims."

On the far side of the room, Nick could see both Cannus and Spetz on their tiptoes, trying to overhear the discussion. Spetz had heard Rolen's claims first-paw and likely shared them with Cannus. They knew the stories.

"Attackers?" Nick picked up a rifle near the cannon that appeared to be of a fairly modern design. When he turned it over in his paws, he found rust and mold on it, hinting at it being older than he would have guessed. "You mean predators. Our ancestors."

"Mine, not yours," Snow corrected, going back to her search more slowly. "Your ancestors from this continent lived a little south of the island that became Zootopia. I've checked your lineage, and likely they were slaves helping to build the walls, or were traitors to the predator clans of the extreme south. No one was keeping your family out. They were kept in."

"My lineage?" he asked, fur standing on end. "I don't even know my grandparents. How do you know anything about me?"

"Because I can read more than comic books." Snow picked up a broken piece of a crate, shaking her head, before tossing it aside. "Wildes have been here for twenty-three generations. Four times, your family teetered on the edge of extinction, usually because someone got themselves executed for theft or other bad behavior. Your relationship with Hopps marks the fifth time the Wildes might vanish."

"I don't actually care about maintaining my family name. I'd rather be with the bunny I love than worry about having kits, especially after the way my father left us."

Snow's searching stopped sharply. "Yes. I read about your father's…departure. I'm sorry, Wilde. Would you like to know more about Hopps' family history, rather than your own?"

"Probably generations of over-achievers."

"A few. If we dig deep enough around this room, we may find the old family mark on some of these relics. I'd like to tell her the details, if given the chance, as the truth about history seems sorely lacking around the city."

Nick looked down at one of the crates, which had a label reading only, "collars." Wincing, he asked, "It was all true? Enslavement of the predators by prey?"

Snow looked to have a brief internal debate, before shrugging. "Yes and no. Your ancestors were likely slave labor, but they had tried to enslave the prey first. There was a push during a particular hard few seasons to turn prey species into a renewable food source, the way we now do with insects. The prey were protecting themselves and forcing the different species to work together at the same time. It would have been awful for us back then, but it was the practical direction for things. They made the only choice they could."

Nick walked past the cannon toward a row of smaller boxes, most of which were intact. After checking the first few and finding them filled with what appeared to be bullet casings, he turned his attention back to Snow. "What about your ancestors?"

"We worked with larger species and we did not fail to enslave the prey," she said without looking up. "Rolen's ancestors and mine came from the same region, if you trace things back far enough. The original warlords came to power because they found a place in the war efforts for every species."

"The extreme south? Somehow that doesn't seem right for arctic foxes."

Snow smirked and nodded. "Not a lot of prey farther north than Zootopia. When prey moved south, so did we. Everyone evolved to survive, long before our evolution led to civilization. First that was through society's growth and the development of speech and cities. Later, we abandoned the ways of the animals we came from. It doesn't mean things were ideal."

Nick stopped at the end of the room, where an entire pile of boxes had tipped over, spilling cannonballs onto the floor. Shaking his head, he tried to figure out what to even search for. "When did your family move to this region?"

"They didn't," she replied immediately. "Without explaining too much, those of my extended family who are alive are still surviving in the old Ursian lands. It's why I know what we are up against."

Nick blinked a few times in surprise. "I'm sorry."

Snow straightened so she was visible over the boxes, and gave him a confused stare. "For what?"

"What you went through. Having met Rolen, I know how bad that had to be. I've heard his father was worse."

"No, you don't know." Snow wandered back around several rows of boxes toward him. "For your sake, I hope you won't. Now, did you find anything odd?"

Nick shook his head and looked back at the fallen boxes. He almost turned away, but stopped as he realized that the cannonballs were spread in a wide arc from the center stack of the boxes—where none had toppled. Chips in the stone floor hinted the metal balls had come down hard, but that would mean there should be a fallen crate. "Actually, yes. This doesn't look right."

Stepping carefully between the cannonballs, Nick soon reached the boxes along the wall. He lifted the lid of one of the intact ones and found that it was filled with bound journals, rather than weapons. Checking the next box, there was nothing inside, though it still smelled of paper.

"What is it?" Snow asked as she reached his side.

"One box full of books and another empty near it." Nick eyed the nearby stacks of boxes, but all were either full of some form of mortar shell, or broken open. "Why would there be books in here, when everything else is a weapon for a war that's long since finished?"

"Research is as much a part of war as the weapons are," she explained, pulling one of the books out of the box. Opening it, she showed him a diagram of some form of mobile cannon platform. "This kind of research was outlawed generations ago. Most of our weapons these days are very limited, and are little more than refined versions of what they built then. When you have every rabbit and mouse in the region studying how to make better killing machines, and a new generation of them born every few months, can you imagine how quickly the science of war advanced in that time?"

"That kind of work doesn't just disappear, Snow. If you're claiming they had advanced weapons a couple hundred years ago…"

"Let me put it this way, officer. The climate regulation systems we use now were designed and built two hundred years ago as the winding-down of the war efforts. A hundred years of every short-generational prey doing research advanced the world more than the previous thousand years combined. The things in these books is carefully regulated. Anything truly dangerous should have already been removed, but if they found something overlooked, it could explain the bombing."

"We have something!" called out Cannus, holding up an empty box on the far side of the room. "This area's crates all have 'explosives' marked on them. This one is empty."

Snow groaned and took a deep breath. "That's actually good news. They used a weapon from here, rather than designing their own."

"Only if we know they won't eventually build one anyway." Nick knelt beside the boxes and studied the topple-pattern of the cannonballs. "Only if they had a way to get in and out. The doors were sealed. Wait—is the air fresh in here?"

"It is," Snow said, frowning. "It shouldn't be. There's no ventilation to the rooms when the windows are sealed, other than from the staircase vents."

Behind them, a single sharp bark drew attention to Cannus. The wolf stood beside a large hole in the side wall of the room. It had been concealed by a stack of boxes when they had entered. Spetz was already halfway into the hole, examining it.

"We have a very big problem," Snow told Nick, grabbing his arm and pulling him as she ran across the room.

By the time they reached the hole, Spetz was seated in a small open space beyond, his fur and uniform quickly being coated with snow that blew in from somewhere beyond him. The roar of winds made it almost impossible for Nick to hear anything.

"The hole is alongside one of the blowers. Hidden from the outside," Spetz yelled to them. He inched forward on paws and knees, then slid back toward them. "A rope ladder is coiled up here."

"Is this good news or bad?" Nick asked, looking to the agent for guidance. "We did find out something. That's good, right?"

"One of those journals lost could restart the wars and change the balance between the two sides," she said. "We may also have lost more explosives like the one used in Podunk."

Nick sighed and met Cannus's worried stare. "Okay, so losing even one journal is bad. How many did we lose?"

Snow took off her glasses and began rubbing at them with her coat's trim. "There are fifty journals in each box. The one you found had none left. Assuming none of them are at ZBI headquarters, this is exceptionally bad news. There are no backup copies of most of these books."

"On a scale of one being a stubbed toe and ten being Night Howlers for Bogo when I'm locked in a room with him?"

Agent Snow looked at Nick, and for once, appeared genuinely worried. "Fifteen, give or take. Podunk may have merely been a distraction. Nearly five million mammals in the city are in immediate danger and another hundred-million in the outlying regions. I cannot even put to words how bad this truly is."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.5 – Brief Respite

 **August 11** **th** **, Thursday – Plainsland Plaza Shooting Range**

"Keep your eye on the target," the agent insisted, though Judy had begun to tune him out. He had suggested the same thing for a dozen shots or more.

Once again, Judy hit the target within a finger's length of the center. The shot was not perfect, but would have dropped nearly any mammal in the city. She kept firing, thankful for the booming noise and the combination of earplugs and earmuffs to drown out the gunfire and the agent's suggestions.

"Better, but not as good as it could be," he told her, as soon as she ran out of bullets. "I think we can still see some improvement."

Judy rolled her eyes, thankful for the panels on either side that would keep him from seeing the motion. Leaning forward slightly, she could see Fangmeyer to her right and Delgato to her left. The three of them had been at the range for most of the day under the guise of having the ZBI agent help them work on their accuracy, though Judy had yet to see him even check in on the others.

Ignoring the agent at her back, Judy watched Fangmeyer with particular concern. Officer Markus Fangmeyer had once been the city's premier sniper on the SWAT team. Now, he struggled to hit the target, and his arm shook slightly after every shot. Two months prior, he had been shot in the shoulder by someone hired by Rolen Ursius to take out ZPD officers. Fangmeyer had been lucky, though the anger in his eyes told Judy he would have rather been killed than left in a crippled state. She had to hope his stubbornness would push him through, even if it took time.

Judy's thoughts scattered when the ZBI agent put his paw on hers, startling her. She had been through months of training at the academy, and her instructors had never touched her except in sparring. The simple contact was jarring and unexpected, though back in the burrow, she would never have been surprised by the far more touch-accepting bunnies. In Zootopia, mammals did not go around touching another without permission or a degree of friendship that did not exist between them.

"If I might," he told her, his ears up and alert, showing off the fake stripes that Judy had been struggling to ignore all morning. She opened her mouth to inform him that he should not, but he talked right over her. "You are close to becoming a great shot, but it will take some adjustment of your stance. Allow me to show you."

Judy had to work to keep from rolling her eyes again or huffing. She just wanted his paw off hers. It felt awkward and unprofessional, and was far from the first thing she wanted Nick seeing if he came back from patrol early. "Make it quick."

She expected the agent to take the handgun from her, but he took her paws in his and forced her to aim, with both arms around her in a clumsy hug. Trying to hold a gun with him alongside her was clumsy and instantly frustrating, and within seconds, Judy put the weapon down and pushed her way out of the booth.

"I need a break," she told him, backing away and holding up both paws. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that Fangmeyer was watching her. The older officer had begun acting too much like a big brother of late and this was probably more of that. "I'll be back."

The ZBI agent said something Judy ignored and went to check on Delgato, while Judy hastily made her way out of the firing range. She was frustrated from hours of trying to improve, while feeling nervous about the agent standing over her shoulder. Her nerves were all but shot after so long, and making it through the rest of the day was going to require some serious willpower.

Judy made her way to the locker room, where she sat down on a bench to shake off the overwhelming sense of annoyance. She felt jittery and wished Nick were there to give her a pep talk. Even at his worst, he could make her laugh or convince her to outdo him. Thankfully, just thinking about him brought a smile to her face and helped lighten her mood.

Rubbing her muzzle, Judy tried unsuccessfully to calm herself down. She could not even put words to why she was so upset. Something felt…off…about the day. At a guess, it was Nick's absence for the second straight day. She had gotten used to him always being around, and the training was getting to her.

 _Twenty-four years without him around, and I'm frazzled less than two days into him being occupied elsewhere_ , she told herself, laughing a little. It was silly and frustrating at the same time. _I'll be a wreck if he ever has to go somewhere without me._

Digging in her locker, she found a wooden bite-stick and began nibbling at it to calm her nerves. It was a habit she had learned as a child, but one that many rabbits shared. Wearing down their teeth was a necessity, but the act of chewing was calming. It was, unfortunately, also a reminder that she had skipped lunch. Forcing herself to stay focused, she chewed on the stick a little longer, until she was certain that she would be calm enough to fire at the target for a few more hours.

With one last deep breath, Judy slid the bite-stick back into her duffel and ran her fingers through her neck fur. It was going to be a long day if she had to put up with the agent watching over her the whole time. Even longer if she could not figure out why he was bothering, when she was just an alternate for whatever mission the others were in on—something he had yet to fully explain.

Judy adjusted her ear muffs, and made her way back into the firing range. There, the agent was waiting for her, but Delgato and Fangmeyer were gone. That instantly made her fur and ears stand up in surprise. From where she stood, she could not quite see the ocelot who manned the range desk, but he would be the only other mammal around if her fellow officers were gone.

"They went to get lunch," the agent told her, his normally-soft voice raised so she could hear him with all the ear protection she wore. "Give it another try?"

Judy nodded and went to the table in her stall, picking up and loading her weapon. As soon as she raised it, the agent stepped in right behind her, so close that she could feel his presence without having to look back. She ignored him and leveled the handgun, lining up her shot.

"No, no, no," said the agent, reaching over her shoulder.

Judy froze as the male rabbit flattened his stomach to her back so that he could grab her right paw with his. Before she could decide how to react, his other arm wrapped around her waist and held her tightly against him.

"Steady, no matter the situation," he told her, though Judy was barely listening. "Don't let anything rattle you. Not me, not someone firing back at you, not anything. Like this."

Judy began to tremble as the agent aimed her paw for her. She kept telling herself she was overreacting, but her mind raced as he held her. It felt wrong, and every instinct began urging her to run or fight, but definitely not stay still.

Abruptly, the agent pushed her waist against the table, his hips grinding against her tail. So much for a misunderstanding. She started to push away, but the agent kept a firm grip on her arm and with his free arm around her waist, she could not move in any direction.

Panic began to set in, but Judy could not immediately make herself react as though the agent was a true threat. She froze, no matter how much her mind screamed at her to do something, as she had been trained. She had never been in a situation like that, and could not convince herself that she was not misinterpreting, even when he tightened his arm around her waist.

"Let go," Judy warned, realizing how small her voice sounded. Looking around the stall for anything, she realized how trapped she truly was. She could not even get her legs into a position to kick him. The barriers to protect other shooters now worked against her, preventing most sideways movement, while the bench kept her from moving forward. "I said, let go! Now!"

"No," the ZBI agent told her, leaning her forward slightly with his chest. "Until you can hit the bull's eye…"

Judy tried to pull away, but the buck actually pushed her back down. His left arm came off her waist and she felt his paw come down on her shoulder, and realized he was going to force her to bend fully over the table. All reservations vanished instantly, and she swung her left elbow back, throwing him off-balance. That gave her enough room to turn, and she brought her handgun up, the grip connecting with the agent's head before she managed to come fully around, aiming the weapon squarely at his chest as he stumbled back a few steps.

"Are we done here?" Judy demanded, barely breathing as she held her ground. Slowly, the agent raised both paws defensively and backed out of the stall. "Don't ever touch me again. Don't ever touch anyone like that again. You try it, and I will show you how accurate my shots can be."

The other rabbit looked around nervously, keeping his paws up. Blood had begun to stain his fur near his left temple. "What did… Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize… Officer Hopps, you need to understand…"

"No, I understand more than enough." Judy was past caring what he had to say. Emptying the handgun onto the table, she threw aside her ear protection and walked quickly out of the range. She nearly forgot her bag in the locker room as she stomped toward the exit, and had to double-back. Faintly, she heard someone talking to her, but thought it was the agent trying to justify himself and she kept going.

In the locker room, Judy grabbed her duffle and started to leave, but lost her momentum. She came to a stop in front of the locker, staring numbly at the wall. Raising one paw, she saw that it shook badly. The tremors spread quickly, making her knees unsteady, forcing her to lean back against her locker for support.

"Judy?" a male voice behind her asked, making Judy jump and spin. Standing near the entrance to the locker room was Fangmeyer, looking for all the world as though he were as shaken as she was just by being in the female locker room. "Are you all right? I saw you in the hall."

Judy opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out the first time she tried. Swallowing, she tried again. "I…um…no. I'm not."

Before she could stop herself, Judy collapsed. She hugged herself, and fell back against the lockers, crying uncontrollably. She barely even noticed when the tiger rushed to her side, and hugged her in his huge arms.

"What happened?" he demanded, leaning one way and then the other, searching her for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Judy's voice shook more than her body. She wanted to leave, to sort out what _had_ actually happened, but could not make herself budge. "Promise me you won't talk to Nick."

Fangmeyer sat up straight and gave her a worried look. "Hopps…"

"Promise!" she snapped, finally able to make herself look him in the eyes. "He worries too much already. I need to deal with this, not him."

Fangmeyer briefly bared his fangs, but nodded. "I promise."

Judy took a deep breath to buy herself time to think. This was not going to be easy. "I don't know what happened. The agent…he might have tried to make me…or maybe I'm overreacting…"

The tiger's whole body tensed, and for a moment Judy thought he was going to go after the ZBI bunny, but he did not try to leave.

"I just don't know. I might have misread the situation, but I think… I'll talk to Bogo and get it dealt with," she told him, finally getting her trembling under control. "I'm probably being a dumb bunny, but I can't risk letting this go if I was right about what just happened."

"There's places his body won't ever be found."

Judy looked up at Fangmeyer in horror, but realized he was giving her a worried smile. He was joking, trying to lighten her mood.

"Don't even kid about that," she insisted, patting his arm. "I've got this. Thank you. I just needed to get my thoughts together. It'll be fine."

Fangmeyer did not seem to entirely believe her, but he did allow her to slip out of his arms and pick back up her bag. "Go home, Hopps. Drink something strong, and we'll deal with this in the morning. I've got your back if Bogo needs someone else there."

"You promise not to talk to Nick?" Judy asked, more worried about what Nick would do than Fangmeyer.

"I still promise," the tiger replied, frowning deeply. "I can't promise not to be awful to that striped fleabag. Until you and Bogo get this handled, I won't be letting him out of my sight, especially with all the cadets from the burrows and other areas in the precinct lately. I know you can fend for yourself, but I can't vouch for the others."

Judy thanked Fangmeyer, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Excusing herself, she hurried from the range and into the parking lot. There, she stared at her cruiser for a long time. She had driven with the ZBI agent. Leaving him behind was one thing, but she was not sure she should be driving, especially when she held up her paw and saw it still trembled.

Shaking her head, Judy went to the nearest subway. The trip from Plainsland Plaza to Nick's apartment required taking two trains, but it was still safer than trying to drive herself. By the middle of the afternoon, she walked into the apartment and threw her duffel onto the floor near the couch.

Judy stood in the front room for a while, still trying to process what had happened. She felt sick to her stomach. More than that, she felt dirty, as though her fur was covered with oil. Wiping away tears yet again, she frantically pulled her uniform off and tossed it into the bedroom as she ran for the bathroom.

Climbing into the shower, Judy broke down as soon as the warm water hit her. She very nearly fell as she curled dropped into a small ball, crying openly and thankful for the falling water to hide her tears. It was not until she heard Nick come into the apartment that she crawled across the tub to turn off the water, barely even aware that the water had gone cold long before. Scrambling from the tub, she wrapped herself in a towel as Nick opened the door.

"You okay, Fluff?" he asked, stopping in the bathroom doorway.

Judy kept her mouth shut and faked a smile, hoping Nick might not be able to pick up on her troubles with her soaked. This was apparently not going to be that day, as Nick's eyes widened and ears shot up. With his paw still holding the edge of the door, she saw his claws extend briefly, then retract, something she had seen him do when tensing suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Nick practically dove across the bathroom, coming down hard on his knees in front of her. He did not even wait for her to reply before he was kissing her cheek and looking her over for some kind of visible injury. "What happened?"

Judy wrapped Nick in a hug, drenching him immediately, though he did not object. "Nothing. Don't worry. I've got it under control. Just a bad day. Really, really bad."

Easing himself out of her grip, Nick gave her a visual check again, and then sat down hard on the floor. "You know I don't believe you."

"I know," she replied, kissing him on each side of his muzzle. "This isn't your fight. I can handle myself." The word choice was not ideal, and Judy saw the worry in Nick's face fade slightly into anger. He was making assumptions about what had happened. "I'll be fine tomorrow. I just…tonight…"

Nick shook his head and got up. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of dinner and chores. If you want, I'll read you romance novels, or put on a movie you like. Give it some thought while I get something cooking. Whatever will help, I'll do. Maybe not well, but I'll do it."

Judy smiled back at him as he left, then sat down on the edge of the tub. Looking at her hind paws, dug into the bathroom rug, she could easily guess how he knew she was understating things. Her toes were swollen from an hour or better in the shower. Even through her fur, the wrinkling of her skin was visible. Nick was not stupid and he noticed every detail, especially when it came to her, for better or worse.

 _I can take care of this myself_ , she thought, trying to convince herself it was true. Bogo had never let her down. Once she talked to him, things would be resolved. _I'll probably get to watch the striped pervert get thrown out on the street, if he's lucky. At worst, I might have to help write up Bogo for assault. One way or another, it's handled._

Smiling to herself, she wiped away another tear. She had never been quite so rattled by someone in her life. Sure, she had been upset and hurt, but nothing like this, even among past boyfriends. No one had ever treated her like…like some kind of toy or property. It was demoralizing and made her feel like a kit, needing her parents to help her out. In hindsight, she dearly wished she had hurt the agent far worse than she had.

Judy finally made herself get up and leave the bathroom, only to find Nick waiting with her robe and a plate of something vaguely resembling turnip turnover, though she knew it had to be something else he had butchered, as there were no turnips in the apartment. She was not about to question the kind act and set to eating once she was dressed.

Throughout the meal and well into the night, Nick did not let her go. He kept both arms around her almost constantly, as if trying to shield her from something he knew nothing about.

If she had her way, he never would. He worried too much about her already.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 1.6 – Brief Respite

 **August 11** **th** **, Thursday Night – Tundratown Safe House**

Rubbing his face, Harry tried to get the horror he had seen in Judy's eyes out of his mind. The way she had looked at him—he was a monster. He had hurt her far more than she had hurt him, even with the way his scalp had been slowly bleeding for hours. Deep down, he knew he needed stitches, but had no desire to have the injury looked at. Ignoring his medical needs was a way of punishing himself for what he had done.

A faint creak of a board outside the remote building's door alerted him that someone was approaching. He slid one paw under his chair and into his coat, where his handgun lay. No sense in being too careful with recent events. The last thing he wanted was to have his first case be his last simply because one of Rolen's followers managed to find the safe house, and he was too distracted to react in time.

"Identify yourself!" he called out, drawing his weapon.

"Three blue sixteen roger," came the reply. The code phrase was one they changed nearly every day, so he knew who was out there.

Holstering his weapon, Harry waited as the door opened and Skye—Agent Snow to the others—slid inside. She paused long enough to say her goodbyes to the two tigers who had escorted her. The large predators had been assigned as simple bodyguards for her and Harry, though they normally stayed with her. Soon, she closed the door behind her, and swept her gaze across the tiny room, settling on Harry.

"You look terrible," Skye told him, as she took off the glasses she had taken to wearing for the assignment. "I am guessing this means you decided to test her?"

Harry huffed and held up one paw, covered with blood. "I told you she wouldn't put up with that. What possible reason did you have for wanting me to make her think I would do _that_? I really hate myself right now."

Skye shrugged and walked to the chair across from him and sat down. "I don't think she can fulfill the role we need. You all but proved it. She's too strong-willed to be believable. Besides, it's a good test of both of your fighting skills. Yours clearly need work."

"Not funny."

"It wasn't supposed to be," she said, sitting back. "You need to get that bleeding under control, agent. I can't have you passing out from blood loss."

Harry grumbled, but picked up the rag he had been using earlier to staunch the bleeding. Pressing it to the side of his head, he glared at Skye, though she seemed not to even notice. "How did things go with your three trainees?"

"Three?" she asked, blinking hard. "Right. The wolf and leopard are good enough. I doubt they'll let me down. They can do what we need. Wilde is an absolute pain. Much like the bunny, he needs more training than we have time to provide. This plan is beyond hopeless. I say we abandon it, and move out in the morning without them."

Harry let out a slow breath and shook his head. "You know what's waiting out there. We can't do this with just the two of us."

"I do, but I only trust the two of us. Besides, if things go according to the plan, we won't need them. It's only if things go wrong."

"They always do, and if anyone recognizes us, it will get you killed if we go back. Those two can cover for us." Harry checked the rag and found a lot of fresh blood. Hopps had hit him harder than he had expected. He had been warry of her kicking him, but the liberal use of her handgun on his skull had been a surprise. "We need help. We need partners."

"You are my partner."

"I'm not and we both know it," he countered, pressing the cloth to his head again. "Your last partner is in pieces five hundred miles away. I'm just a mammal you found who understands you, and is willing to put up with it. It's not the same."

"Including those two isn't going to undo what we've seen. You know that, right?"

"I know, Skye."

"Agent Snow."

Harry rolled his eyes. For once, he agreed with Wilde. The names were grating and did feel like "superhero names." "We need their help. On our own, we'll be found out in no time. The plan I submitted to the ZBI won't work without help."

"We'll take the other officers." Skye stared through him, her thoughts on something he would never be able to see. "They have nothing to lose. They'll be more willing to risk themselves."

"It's not the same, and you know it. Why don't you want Wilde and Hopps? They're the best out there, and the only two we could possibly use."

Skye sat up a little straighter, as though hearing him for the first time. "Did I say I don't want to bring them?"

"You're trying to talk us both out of it."

Her shoulders drooping somewhat, Skye gave him a very slight nod. "They have a life ahead of them. I don't want to do this to them. We might well destroy all that they have."

"And having the city attacked won't?" Leaning forward, Harry took her paw in his, making her jump a little. Normally, he would have been afraid of her taking a swing at him, but she was too lost in her thoughts to strike. Besides, invading her comfort zone the way she had made him do to Hopps was only fair. "We can't keep hurting them forever and expect different results. Tomorrow, I want to open things up. Let's let them find out everything."

"Everything?" she asked, snickering. "I'm happy to run a combat training class, but if Wilde finds out about what you did, I'll be scraping you off the walls."

"Let him find out. I want to see what he'll do. More importantly, I want to see what he'll do when you explain why. We can advance things a lot faster, even if I get hit again."

"He'll kill you. I'm not using hyperbole, either."

Harry sat back. "I'd rather have him kill me for a good reason than die by surprise where we're headed next. Tell me you don't feel the same."

"I'd rather keep going, day to day," she answered, scowling. "I don't intend to let Wilde, Hopps, or even Rolen kill me. You and I are here because we're survivors. Not because we chose one death over another."

Harry reached down and picked up his case file. Opening it, he stared at the picture one of their spies had captured outside the city shortly before the explosion in Podunk. Three mammals were escorting Rolen toward a nondescript vehicle. The bear was badly injured, but standing on his own. Shortly after that picture had been taken, the bat who had taken it had been killed by someone allied with Rolen. The photo Harry held was the only information that had escaped.

"We're all going to die," Harry told Skye, tapping his tiny claw on the face of Rolen in the photo. "It's a question of whether us dying is helping make the city a safer place. I'm willing to risk Wilde or Hopps tearing me apart if it gives us a better chance of getting to Rolen, before he's in hiding again."

Skye growled loudly. "You know I agree, Harry. Don't imply I am not willing to make sacrifices."

"Names, agent," he scolded, getting a hateful glare in response. Usually, she was correcting him. "I was thinking about finally getting a proper agency name."

"What were you considering? Please tell me you found something with some flavor to it."

"I'm considering Agent Savage. Has a certain morbid humor, being a bunny and all. It's particularly fun after the Bellwether incident."

Skye stared at him as though he were insane. "No. That's awful, Harry. I refuse to partner with Agent Savage. I'd rather go with Wilde's 'Agent Zippy' than that, despite all my objections."

"This is just too much work," Harry admitted, sighing as he tossed aside the rag.

"The alternate name?"

"Yes."

"You know why we have those names…"

"I do, but I've got no family, Skye. No one's getting hurt if I'm found out for who I am. I'm all that's left. Can we, just this once, go with the truth?"

"Meaning what?"

"Use my real name. I don't care if the ZPD knows who I am." Harry touched his head with his fingers, and found no fresh blood. It still probably needed staples or stitches, but he would be fine. "Go ahead and set up fighting practice for the team tomorrow."

Skye got up and delicately examined the cut on the side of his head. "You'll bleed out in minutes the first time someone hits you, if we don't close that up. I'll only make the announcement if you let me staple it."

"Go ahead," he told her, sitting back to keep his head still against the back of the chair while Skye retrieved their medical kit. "It's not like it's the first time."

Skye returned a moment later, and knelt beside him with the staple gun. "I'd almost think you enjoy being hurt. We can wait on the fighting training."

"No, we can't." Harry took a deep breath and held himself rigidly as Skye put the cold metal to his head. A sharp snap echoed in his large ears as the first staple clamped his skin shut. There would be another, as she did not remove the staple gun after the first. "Each day we wait, he gets farther away. Once he's settled in, we'll never find him. I want this team to roll out by the end of next week, or we should just give up. With the sheer number of paid mammals between here and there who will attempt to delay him, we have that long before he's out of our reach."

Another snap made Harry wince and brought tears to his eyes. To his dismay, Skye adjusted the staple gun again. He had not realized how badly the skin had broken open.

"You aren't in charge," Skye reminded him firmly. "If we take longer and I say we still have a mission, we still have a mission. Understood?"

"Understood."

The vixen set aside the staple gun and put the bloodstained cloth back in his paw, and made him press it to the wound. "Keep it covered for a little while longer."

"Are you going to make the announcement tomorrow, or not?"

Skye sat down across from Harry and picked up a glass of whiskey he had poured for himself. She sniffed it and scowled, but drank the cheap alcohol anyway. "I will. I will not make it clear what happened. Let Wilde figure it out himself, or let Hopps try to act against you. I want to see if they are as creative at working around the rules as I keep hearing."

"The chief isn't going to give them the chance," Harry said, suddenly really wishing Skye had not taken his drink. The pain in his head was only getting worse by the second. "I don't expect he'll be very happy to see me tomorrow."

"Leave that to me." Skye swirled the glass, clattering the ice in it against the sides. "Hopps will be too scared and rattled to call him tonight. She'll want to deal with it in the morning."

"You intend to get to him first?"

Skye nodded. "Can't have that bunny getting this reported back to the ZBI. That would prompt an immediate look into your history, and I won't allow that. We need her to stay quiet."

Sighing, Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "You have something in mind?"

"I do." She finally looked up from the glass to regard him emotionlessly with those cold blue eyes. "You won't like it."


	2. Chapter 2

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.1 – For the Greater Good

 **August 12** **th** **, Friday – Precinct One, Savanna Central**

Nick followed Judy into the precinct nearly a full hour earlier than usual. He had not yet managed to piece together what happened to her the day before, but a night of rest had left her no less angry and confused—just more exhausted after failing to sleep. He had gotten no sleep either, spending the whole night watching the top of her head and stroking her ears. A thousand guesses crossed Nick's mind, forcing him to ignore all of them, lest he spiral into worry and anger.

 _I'll kill that buck if this is his fault_ , Nick thought, trying to keep his annoyance off his face and posture. He had both paws in his pockets as he staggered through the lobby toward the coffee pot. _Nobody makes my bunny mad except me, and that's usually for forgetting to replace the toilet paper. Gonna have to talk to him and find out what this is all about._

Nick watched Judy practically run up the stairs toward Bogo's office. He wanted dearly to follow, but whatever was going on was between her and the chief. That meant regulations were involved and Nick would be no assistance there, and possibly not even wanted. More often than not, his presence was a reminder to Bogo that regulations were not followed closely enough.

Reaching the coffee pot at last, Nick stared in dismay at the empty and cold machine he found. The night shift had not made any coffee, or had finished it up hours earlier. Looking around, he tried to find someone who might know how to work the machine, but the lobby was almost empty. The only one around was Officer Mane, a lioness who filled Clawhauser's position during the night.

"Sarah, darling?" Nick called out, catching Officer Mane's attention as he looked over his shoulder at her. "We're out of coffee."

The lioness leaned back in her chair, and put her hind paws on the desk. Nick almost missed that her toe claws were extended, making him wonder if he had angered her somehow. "So we are. Thank you for letting me know, in case I wanted any."

Nick grumbled and turned fully to face her. "Can someone refill it?"

"Someone certainly can," she replied, cocking her head slightly. "What are you asking, Wilde?"

"Can you?"

"Yes." Her eyes narrowed, and Nick realized he had crossed a line. He was still too tired to realize what it might have been. "Are you seriously expecting me to serve you coffee?"

"Serve? No. I just know Clawhauser does the coffee during the day…"

"And so you assume that's part of my job."

Nick blinked hard. He had walked right into this. There was no escaping now. There was only damage control. "No, that's…okay, maybe that's part of it. I just thought if you could help…"

Sarah Mane got up from the desk and began marching Nick's way, setting his instincts into flight mode. She rolled up on him angrily, her far greater size only adding to the nervousness Nick felt from her continuous growl. She stopped directly in front—and above—him, staring down her muzzle at him as though debating whether to pop his head off.

"You want me to help?" she demanded softly, tail swishing into view every few seconds as she looked Nick in the eye. "That's what you expect?"

Nick swallowed and kept staring back at Sarah, hoping to find some abrupt exit. "Yes?"

Reaching over him, the lioness clicked a small button on the side of the coffee machine and it began warming up. Shaking her head, she walked away, muttering, "Foxes are clever, my fuzzy yellow ass."

Nick stayed where he was a little longer, until he could hear the coffee pot begin to fill. By that point, he decided he was likely safe from Sarah and set to digging a cup out of the cabinet behind the pot. That much, he knew how to do on his own.

From almost directly above him, Bogo's booming voice called out, "Wilde! Upstairs. Now."

Nick stared at the coffee pot longingly and whined. There was no possible way he could wait for it, with Judy and now Bogo waiting upstairs for him. He touched the hot glass pot with his finger pads, and then walked away, feeling as though he had abandoned a lover. Tromping up the stairs toward Bogo's office, he dearly hoped being summoned up there had not been a result of his interactions with Sarah.

"Wilde," Bogo said flatly, once Nick reached the second floor. "Into my office. Your name has gotten dragged into this, and I want to hear your side."

Nick stopped where he was, and tried to read Bogo's dour face. Nothing useful, just the usual annoyed glare that he gave everyone. "Dragged into what?"

"You…wait, you don't know?" the chief asked, his glower vanishing. "Dammit. I assumed you knew what…ugh…never mind. If you don't know, I can't talk to you about it, even with your name being used. Go back to what you were doing. I'll try to get this resolved in a hurry."

Nick could not be sure whether to thank the chief, ask him more questions, or simply walk away. As the bison walked back to his office, Nick thought, _This has to be about Judy's situation. Why is everyone keeping me out of this? So help me, if this has to do with those shock collars again…_

Nick was pressed up against Bogo's door before he realized he had even committed to the plan, his ear flat to the glass. He knew Judy would hear him even through the door if she was paying attention, but he had to hope she was not, or did not care.

"But chief!" Judy pleaded, sounding truly miserable.

"Chief Bogo," cut in Agent Snow. Her disgusted tone was unmistakable. "Your officer is raising some rather serious charges. Given that my own agent is raising similar concerns, I have to demand your video footage from the shooting range to resolve this. The video will resolve matters immediately. I will deal with my agent far more harshly than you could, if what Hopps is claiming actually happened that way."

Nick stepped away from the door in surprise. Whatever had happened was far more dire than he had expected. Given where it had happened, he wondered briefly if Judy had accidentally shot someone during training.

"We don't have it," Bogo snapped in response. "Highly suspicious that all of our video for yesterday is missing. I called the range for it the moment your report hit my desk."

"Highly suspicious, indeed," Snow came right back. "Your officers manage those servers. Are you attempting to implicate me in this? I certainly hope you have some proof. If not, both I and my agent are owed quite the apology."

Even through the door, Nick could hear Bogo rubbing his face with a hoof. "No, agent. I am not implicating you. I am saying we have no way to resolve this."

"That's it?" asked the unnamed bunny agent, making Nick wonder who all was in the office. "She gets to level an accusation like this, and there is nothing you can do? I want my name—such as it is—cleared."

"It's not an accusation!" Judy said, raising her voice. She was beyond angry. "You…what you…"

With a click of her tongue, Snow cut the conversation off. "I expected better of your department, chief. Get them to act professionally, or we will be forced to exclude you entirely from the investigation. Do we understand each another?"

"We do," Bogo replied. "You have my sincere apologies, Agent Snow. You and your fellow agent may leave. I will speak with Hopps regarding this."

"And Wilde," Snow said sharply. "Those two are together, and we all know it. If one thought this was okay, I have to assume the other does, too. I don't want to be having this same conversation again tomorrow, and I can assure you I will not be as forgiving as my partner. If Wilde tries a similar stunt, he will be on his way to the hospital before I file my report."

Nick's concerns about the meeting grew. After watching Judy suffering all night with whatever this meeting had been about, he wanted to barge in and speak on her behalf, despite not knowing what the actual problem was. Now, he was implicated in…something. While being blamed for things was nothing new, he really did not crave the attention so much that he was willing to accept blame when he did not even know why.

"I'll leave you to it, chief," Snow said, and Nick heard the chairs creak. He quickly moved to the absolute limit of his hearing a few steps from the door where he would not be readily noticed when they left. The curve in the hall and a large potted plant made for easy hiding. "Make sure they show up on time for training today, or we'll be forced to work the four real trainees that much harder."

After a few seconds, Agent Snow and her partner left the office, making their way down the hall opposite Nick. When Judy did not come out, he slid out from behind the plant and walked slowly to Bogo's door.

Nick opened his mouth to greet the chief and Judy, hoping to make it appear as though he were merely checking in. His gimmick fell apart as he saw Judy still in her seat, crying, while Bogo had his face in his hooves. Neither looked up as he entered the room.

"What's going on?" Nick asked, stopping near Judy's chair. "Did I miss something?"

"Wilde, now is not the time." Bogo kept his face down. "Just please, please, do not upset Snow today. She's got me by the tail."

Judy sniffled and climbed off her chair. Grabbing Nick by the sleeve of his uniform, she led him back to the door. "Bogo and I have some more to talk about, Nick. You need to get down to the precinct gym. I'll be down…soon."

Taking a knee, Nick tried to look Judy in the eyes, but she turned her attention anywhere and everywhere else. He finally gave up and took her paws in his. "Promise me you'll tell me what's going on?"

"No," Judy answered, somehow managing to look even more upset. "I can't promise anything. Maybe eventually, but not now."

Nick hesitated a moment, thinking he should be more subtle around Bogo, but realized there was little point. He instead kissed Judy on the forehead, before he got up and headed from the room. Behind him, he could hear the door close solidly once he was a short distance away.

 _Yep, going to kill me a ZBI agent at this rate_ , he thought, no longer even trying to hide his anger. _First Snow comes after me, then she goes after Judy. I don't know what her problem is, but I'm done playing her games. We're getting to the bottom of this right now. I would have put up with the nonsense aimed at me forever. Don't let them see they got to you, and all that. You don't go attacking my bunny, though._

Nick marched through the precinct, ignoring several attempts by the officers arriving for the day to speak with him. Many waved or offered a simple "good morning" but he barely heard it, making his way through the back halls toward the precinct gym. He soon passed the locker rooms, and came out into the combination training area and exercise gymnasium, which had been the old vehicle repair facility before renovations several years prior.

A few steps past one of the locker rooms, Nick realized he was being followed. He looked over his shoulder and found Fangmeyer right behind him, dressed in sweatpants and a simple t-shirt.

"Aren't you a little underdressed for work?" Nick asked, eyeing the clothing as he slowed and stopped.

Fangmeyer stopped beside him, and glared down at Nick. "You're overdressed. It's a first. I'm not trading roles with you."

"Overdressed for what?"

"You not checking your precinct mail?"

Nick blinked several times. "We have precinct mail?"

The tiger's shoulders dipped, and his tail flopped to the floor. "You aren't joking, are you?"

"No." Nick gave his best apologetic smile. "What'd I miss?"

"We're supposed to be doing boxing and other martial training with the ZBI today. Rumor is, Snow is eliminating one or more of us from aiding them."

Nick cocked his head. "Seriously? They expect me to fight you? That's not fair at all."

Fangmeyer opened his mouth, but then stopped. He must have realized the joke Nick was trying to set him up for. Instead, he went a different direction. "We're fighting the ZBI agents, not each other, if the note in my mailbox is to be believed. I figured you'd be the first animal in line for that."

"Snow is sparring?" Nick asked, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

"In theory. Is that good or bad?"

"Good, at least for me." Nick took off toward the locker room. It only took him a minute to change into his own sweats and get back into the hallway, where Fangmeyer still waited, leaned against the wall.

"Eager much?" the tiger asked, raising one eyebrow. "I'd almost think you intend to do something stupid."

"That vixen crossed a line with me," Nick answered, marching toward the gym again. Somehow, without his uniform he did not feel nearly as imposing. "I'll gladly take a chance to even the playing field, if it doesn't get me kicked off the force."

Fangmeyer walked quickly to keep up with Nick. "Snow? What about…the other one? I thought you'd be after him."

"Don't know anything about the bunny," he admitted without slowing. "Snow filed some kind of complaint against Judy with Bogo this morning. I know he's involved, but right now, she's the one I know went after both of us."

"And…you haven't heard anything about him?"

Something in the tiger's tone tugged at Nick's attention. He stopped mid-step, and turned to look up at his coworker. "Should I have? Spit it out, Markus."

Fangmeyer appeared torn briefly, but then set his jaw angrily and lowered his brows. "No, I guess not. I have my own quarrel with him, if no one claims him first. Do you know if Judy will be joining us?"

That set off all kinds of warnings in Nick's mind, but he was not about to start demanding answers of mammals that should not know more than he did about what was going on with Judy. "Doubtful. She's tied up with Bogo right now. Has been since we walked in."

Baring his fangs slightly, Fangmeyer began walking again, and this time Nick had to hurry to keep up.

"What's going on, buddy?" Nick asked, but Fangmeyer kept going. When Nick saw him roll his shoulder—cracking it loudly—and growl again, he knew things were escalating in the tiger's head. "What did the bunny do, besides murder any sense of fashion?"

Fangmeyer turned to answer, but a sharp whistle from the far side of the gym cut off their conversation.

Looking across the room, Nick saw that Agent Snow stood on a large matted area, with Cannus, Spetz, Delgato, and "Zippy" alongside her. She was glowering at him—nothing new there—and tapping her hind paw impatiently.

"Move it, officers," the vixen called out, motioning toward the others. "Chief Bogo said you were all punctual. I beg to differ."

"Let it drop for now," Fangmeyer whispered, though he did not look to Nick as if he intended to heed his own advice. "We'll talk after work over some strong drinks. For now, trust in Bogo to set things right."

Nick's mouth went dry as he began piecing things together. Whatever had happened was likely not being handled by Bogo. He would have to sit Judy down and demand some answers, if things continued as they had the previous night. For the moment, he was fairly certain he could keep his mouth shut.

The two officers made their way across the room to Snow, stopping on the edge of the mat. Normally, the area was used for officers to practice takedowns without breaking their necks on the hard floor underneath. Today, Snow had something else in mind, if the padded headgear and gloves on Nick's fellow officers was any indication. Even little Zippy—Nick was having a harder and harder time calling the striped bunny anything else in his mind—had changed clothes into a jogging suit and padded headgear. To Nick's surprise, a deep gash across the agent's head looked to have been patched sometime recently, as blood still stained his fur. Perhaps Judy had almost shot him, after all.

"Officer Markus Fangmeyer," Snow announced, holding up a clipboard. "Three departmental medals for bravery. One for your injury in action. It even says you used to teach the departmental self-defense classes."

The tiger nodded slightly. He had always preferred to minimize his conversation with those he did not regularly associate with, so Nick thought little of the silence.

"Why are you no longer teaching?" the white fox asked, lowering her notes.

"Still recovering from being shot by Rolen's mammals," Markus answered, flexing his paws, as though debating whether to throttle someone. Self-consciously, Nick moved an extra step away. "Eight screws and a plate in your shoulder tend to cause problems."

Snow winced slightly, but brought her clipboard back up as she paced the line of officers. Strangely, she seemed to be ignoring Nick, which suited him just fine. More odd was that Zippy was pointedly avoiding looking at him. The bunny looked almost embarrassed. There were so many possible reasons, but Nick did not want to jump to any conclusions. He had made that mistake one too many times in the recent past.

"Cannus and Spetz," Snow continued after a moment of pacing. "You two won an award for best boxing team in the ZPD last year."

"Yeah," Carl answered for himself and Spetz. "It was the first year midsized officers won it. Damn near broke both paws on McHorn's face."

Nick only half paid attention. He certainly had no accolades in much of anything, beyond being associated with Judy—who had as many or more awards than any of the others present. With her absent, he was mostly just occupying space. Given the way Snow had spoken of him in the past, he was willing to bet she saw things much the same.

"Wilde," Snow said next, startling Nick. "We will be forming up teams shortly to do some martial training and practice. Are you sure you should be here?"

"I was told to report here by Bogo. I'm not one to avoid a fight, even if this is kind of a joke. It's not like a little fox…" Nick purposely let the remark hang in the air a moment to irritate Snow. The twitch near her eye told him he had been successful. "…is going to be effective here."

Snow walked over in front of him and glared at him down her muzzle. She even went so far as to remove her glasses and repeat the glare. "My partner will be leading one team. Are you saying that a bunny can fight with a tiger, a lion, a wolf, and a leopard, but you and I cannot? That comment seems overly ignorant, even from you. I expect better, or at least more clever, remarks."

Nick smiled as best he could manage. No reason to let her get to him. "I know my partner can handle herself. Don't have any idea what your partner can or can't do. Me, I'm just scrappy. If you want, I'll go get a mop for Agent Zippy when you're finished. And yes, I'm still planning on doing what Bogo told me to do."

Scowling, Snow looked over her shoulder at the rabbit, and then up at Fangmeyer, who was barely breathing as he loomed over her and Nick. Returning her cold eyes to Nick, she said more quietly, "Wilde, given the situation, I don't want to put you through this. Feel free to make me the villain here, but I want you to think very carefully before you agree to spar. I'm giving you this out, without reservation."

"I might almost think you cared, Snow," Nick retorted, lowering his own voice. He knew Fangmeyer could hear them both, but he honestly did not care who could hear him. "Bogo says to be here, so I'm here. Afraid I'll embarrass your little buddy?"

Snow glanced around nervously, which actually got through Nick's usual bravado. She appeared genuinely worried. "Nick, please. After what Bogo told you, you can't think this is going to go well for either of you. Please blame me. Say I chased you off. I don't want this getting out of control."

"I…don't understand." Nick tilted his head to check Fangmeyer for any clue what was going on, but the tiger continued to glower. "He only told me to come down here. I think Judy's supposed to talk to me later about something…"

Snow rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. "I see. Walk with me a moment, Wilde."

Nick wanted to maintain his anger at the vixen, but when she took his elbow and escorted him away from the others—far away and out of earshot—he began to worry that he had misunderstood the situation entirely.

"How much did she or Bogo tell you about yesterday?" Snow asked, once they reached the far side of the gymnasium. "I don't feel right talking about this, and would rather keep it to a minimum."

"Talking about what exactly? I know she was with Zippy yesterday, and came home upset…"

Snow began to fidget, making Nick even more nervous. "I guess I have no choice. This should have come from her. The fact that she kept it from you makes me question her side that much more. I am so very sorry."

"Her side?" Nick's anger was dwindling rapidly in favor of cold fear, clenching at his heart. "What happened?"

"There was an…incident…at the range. I can't say I know what happened for certain, either. According to Zip…ugh…my partner, things got a little out of paw. Let me start with his version, and I will let you draw your own conclusions. I trust you are professional enough to not let this impact your work…"

Nick swallowed hard and waited for the bad news.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.2 – For the Greater Good

 **August 12** **th** **, Friday – Precinct One, Savanna Central**

"Be careful out there," Bogo told Judy sadly. "I want to do something, but we both know this nonsense is meant to block me from helping. My hooves are tied, until we can get more to go on than a statement from each of you. I need a witness of some kind."

"I know." Judy wiped at her tears again, trying to figure out how she was going to make it through the day, let alone break the news to Nick. "I don't blame you, chief."

"Glad one of us doesn't." He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "If you want, I will throw down over this. I mean that literally. I will throw that agent down the stairs."

Judy shook her head, barely even noticing how limply her ears hung. "No. I can handle this. I just need to make sure Nick doesn't find out, or it'll escalate horribly. I need to resolve things before he hears any of it."

Chief Bogo snorted loudly, derailing her thoughts. "I went through this sort of accusation once, too. I kept it from my second wife while I sorted it out. Worst mistake of my life. Tell the fox, Hopps. If he finds out on his own, it'll be so much worse."

Grumbling to herself, Judy picked up the report she had been handed at the start of the meeting, and stared at its cover. "You're probably right. You mind if we disappear for a while around lunch? I'll catch him up and we can start healing."

"Take the time you need, Hopps. If the agents have any complaints, send them my way." Judy started to get down from the chair, but Bogo added, "And Hopps, be ready to be sent out this afternoon. The ZBI is announcing their plans to have the city annex Podunk today. I'll want several of the ZPD's finest on-site to calm them down. I can't imagine many mammals taking that well."

Judy felt as though she had been verbally beaten yet again, though she knew that was no fault of Bogo's. "And Bunnyburrow?"

"Sunday or Monday, if rumors are true." The chief shrugged. "You're not scheduled at all tomorrow. I'd recommend going to be with your family. The transition from a free village to an annex of the city is not going to be easy or popular."

Judy numbly thanked him and climbed off the chair, then reached back to take the report folder. She desperately wished she could leave the report behind. Doing so would change nothing now. It had been filed with the city even before she had reached Bogo, effectively trumping her own claims. What she took with her was merely a courtesy copy for her records, so she would know what had been said about her.

Not that she needed a copy. The text had been read to her verbatim, and Judy could not imagine forgetting any of it. Ever.

 _During live-ammunition training, Officer Hopps asked me to fetch a different set of earplugs. In doing so, I found the officer-on-duty's station empty. When I returned, the other officers who had been under my purview had already left for lunch, resulting in myself and Officer Hopps being the only remaining mammals in the range. It was at this time that Officer Hopps came on to me, and I regret to admit that I took her up on her offers, as she claimed her lover was not meeting her needs and she needed the company of her own kind. Officer Hopps may have mentioned a desire for kits, but I admit to be distracted when she began undressing…_

Judy growled—a bad habit picked up from Nick—and kicked a potted plant in the hallway onto its side. She managed to make it another few steps before her hind paw went numb and sharp pains flared through her toes. Looking down, she saw she had shattered the claws on all three toes, and might well have broken the toes themselves, given the way they ached.

"Sweet cheese and…ugh…dammit!" Judy muttered, too angry to even stick to her usual mild curses. Another habit inherited from Nick, and one she was going to need to get rid of before she went home to Bunnyburrow.

Judy limped the rest of the way down the hall, out to the stairs into the main lobby, and back toward the training section of the building. It took her far longer than she would have liked, and she occupied her thoughts trying to decide how she was going to squeeze her swollen hind paw out of her pants when she got home, rather than a topic of importance.

 _Four hours_ , she told herself more than once. _Four hours is how long I need to play nice with the ZBI. After that, I go to Podunk, then back to the burrow with Nick for the weekend, and we sort all this out. By Monday, the two agents should be well on their way to leaving for good. By tonight, I'll be able to soak my paw in warm water, and coax Nick into rubbing it. Tomorrow's a new day._

Judy stopped at the locker rooms, where she took the opportunity to change into sweat pants, which would make undressing easier that evening, swollen paw or not. With luck, she hoped to skip out on the afternoon entirely, to get a chance to talk with Nick and a head-start on the drive to Podunk. Once she was dressed, she set off again toward the gym.

Coming around the last turn in the halls before the gymnasium, Judy heard several shouts, but could not make out the words. She quickened her pace, emerging into the large room as Agent Snow called out, "And…go!"

A hundred of her steps away, Nick, Fangmeyer, and Delgato stood to one side of a mat. Across from them, Cannus, Spetz, and the striped rabbit were set up opposite the first group. At Snow's shout, the two teams approached, and Judy realized they were all wearing boxing gloves. She was not entirely sure she was okay with Nick being involved in that fight, but so long as it was just training…

Suddenly, Fangmeyer lunged and took both Cannus and Spetz off their paws, leaving a clear path for Nick to the ZBI agent. Delgato appeared as confused as Judy felt, staring at Fangmeyer as though he had lost his mind, especially when the tiger cast aside his gloves and fought viciously to keep the wolf and leopard down, both of whom were punching and biting him.

Judy stopped where she was, remembering Fangmeyer's offer to help her deal with the situation at the range the day prior. Thankfully, whatever rage he felt was being meted out on the other officers, leaving the agent, Delgato, and Nick alone.

 _Oh no_ , Judy screamed in her own head. _Please tell me Nick didn't find out._

Nick took off at a dead run across the mat, while Delgato and the agent both stared at the violence Fangmeyer was unleashing on two of his own friends to keep them down, as they struggled to get away. His path took him right past Fangmeyer, and Judy had no doubt who he was after when she saw the anger in his eyes and the feral expression.

"Nick!" Judy screamed, just as he bowled over the ZBI agent, sending both of them tumbling right off the mat.

Despite the pain in her paw, Judy ran across the gym on all fours, while Snow likewise hurried to the two males fighting off to one side. From the corner of her eye, Judy realized Fangmeyer had already given up on holding Cannus and Spetz, and instead was sitting up to watch Nick. That left her with no doubt this was planned.

By the time Judy reached the fray, the agent was badly bloodied, his stapled scalp broken open. Fresh claw wounds ran across his muzzle and arms, even as Nick continued to punch and claw at him. The one time the agent managed to get a leg free to kick his attacker away, Nick rolled to avoid the paw and then bit near the agent's nose, forcing him back down onto the floor.

"Nick, stop!" Judy pleaded, grabbing at one of his arms, while Snow attempted to intervene between Nick and the agent bodily. Despite Judy managing to get a solid grip on Nick's elbow, he still had enough strength to push Snow aside and hit the other rabbit again, forcing him to curl up and protect his face. "Nick!"

The anger in Nick's eyes faded slightly and he seemed to realize Judy was there for the first time since he had attacked. Rage shifted to fear and shock, as his ears shot back. To Judy, he looked like a kit who had been caught misbehaving, rather than an adult fox who had just tried to kill someone.

Judy grabbed Nick's face in both paws, while Snow dragged her bloodied partner away. "Nick. What are you doing?"

"Doing?" he asked in reply, slowly looking down at his own paws. Both were covered with brown fur and a lot of fresh blood. "I'm…I heard what…um…I want to lie, but I've got nothing here. I didn't hit you, did I?"

Judy held tightly to Nick's face, preventing him from looking around. She did not want him to even glance toward Snow and her partner, lest things escalate again. From what Judy could see without turning her own head, the other rabbit was battered and bleeding everywhere, but sitting up on his own. "Nick, this isn't how we solve our problems. I'm fine. Don't do this."

"I'm sorry," Nick whispered. He let his arms drop to his sides and lowered his eyes to stare at Judy's hind paws. "I felt helpless. I had to do something."

Before Judy could reply, she and Nick were thrown hard to the floor as Snow tackled Nick. Judy rolled away as claws and fangs flashed uncomfortably closer to her nose, though she could not even be certain who they belonged to. When she was able to right herself, she found Snow had Nick pinned to the floor face-down, with one arm locked behind his back.

"Nicholas Wilde, you are under arrest," the vixen said loudly, and the other mammals in the room went deathly silent. "You will be arraigned at a ZBI holding facility until such time…"

"Agent Snow, please! We can discuss this!" Judy begged, but the fox began reading Nick his rights. As Judy knelt near them, Snow clicked a pair of cuffs onto Nick's wrists.

Fangmeyer stepped up alongside Judy, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to intervene.

"Officer Fangmeyer, you had best keep your mouth shut and stay back," warned Snow, cocking her head slightly. "You are already culpable here, but I cannot make that case stick. You interfere now and you'll be in a cell alongside Wilde."

Judy looked up at the tiger, and it was obvious he was struggling with that decision. Reaching out, she grabbed at his sweatpants near the knee, drawing his attention to her. She gave him a shake of her head and after a moment, he appeared to calm down enough that even Snow relaxed somewhat.

"He made his choice," Judy whispered, and Fangmeyer nodded grimly. "Let's not make it worse."

Snow finished adjusting the cuffs on Nick and appeared to go out of her way to drive her knee into his back, eliciting a pained grunt. "Finally, someone sensible around here. Normally, we would take him somewhere you would not be able to find. I'll make an exception this once, Officer Hopps. Consider that my thanks for deescalating the situation. I'll leave the address with Bogo. Give me an hour or so to get my partner to a medic, and this idiot into a cell."

Without waiting for a reply, Agent Snow yanked Nick to his paws and began shoving him toward the rear exit of the precinct. As she did, two agency tigers came into the gym in a rush, running to help the other agent onto his feet. Within seconds, the gym was left to the ZPD officers.

"I'm sorry I let that happen," Fangmeyer said softly, once the door closed behind the ZBI agents. "I take full responsibility for what just went down."

Judy could not bring herself to reply. Instead, she pulled her knees up under her chin and stared at the floor where Nick had last been lying. It felt so final, so dark, to have seen him escorted out in cuffs and covered in blood. Looking around at the others, she saw equal parts confusion and outrage. Even Cannus and Spetz—despite having been all but mauled by Fangmeyer—were glaring after Agent Snow with unadulterated anger. Apparently, a beating among friends was fine.

"Someone want to tell me what the hell just happened?" Delgato finally asked, spreading his arms to indicate everyone. He still stood where he had been before the sparring had begun. "Am I the only one who has no idea what's going on?"

Fangmeyer reached down and gently touched Judy's shoulder. "I'll brief the others. No details, I promise. They need to know why Nick and I did what we did. You should check in with Bogo right away. The sooner you do, the sooner we can get Nick back."

Judy could not bring herself to say anything. Instead, she offered Fangmeyer a halfhearted smile. She soon clutched her legs again, feeling on the verge of throwing up. She had never truly feared Nick—not even when she had overreacted to him triggering her instincts early on—but having watched him nearly kill the agent was more than she had bargained for. This was new and terrifying. It felt as though she could not trust anyone.

"Markus," Judy called out, and Fangmeyer stopped near Delgato to look back. "I don't have a cruiser."

"I'll drive you once the others are informed. I'll take care of everything, Hopps."

The reassuring statement did nothing to ease Judy's worries. Instead, she felt even more helpless than she had a moment before. Nick was gone—possibly for years, depending on how his trial went. Someone else was handling what she should be doing, explaining to the others. She really had nothing she could do. That left her with her sense of dread, and dark thoughts of living in Nick's apartment alone, wondering if and when he would ever come home.

Worse still, Judy wondered how she could explain to their parents why he had been arrested. She had barely convinced them he was safe for her to date, and now she had to find a way to say he had tried to kill another bunny.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.3 – For the Greater Good

 **August 12** **th** **, Friday Afternoon – Undisclosed Location, Outer Canal District**

As the tigers who had escorted him slammed the cell door shut, Nick rubbed his recently-uncuffed wrists and began to pace the small enclosed space the ZBI had given him. Despite being about the same size as his first apartment, the cell instantly made him feel trapped. Deep instincts urged him to fight, to run, to claw at anything and everything to get free, but his rational mind warned him there was no sense to it. He was trapped and he deserved it. Three walls, a dusty floor, a row of bars, and a flickering overhead light were about all he had to look forward to for some time. With luck, they might even let Judy visit him.

"Could be worse," he said, looking around the cell. Back at the ZPD, a cell this size would have fit up to five criminals. With only him, the tiny bed, and a toilet, he could not complain too much. Plenty of room for walking in circles. "Practically a vacation…"

Nick's attention went back to the bed. It was certainly no vacation if he was spending it alone. Getting Judy locked up with him was probably not going to happen, so he was back to feeling trapped. He had spent nearly his whole adult life in an empty bed, but now it was agonizing to think of.

A slow walk around the cell did little to improve Nick's mood. He could smell half a dozen other mammals who had been in there before him, though none of it gave him any clue about what might have happened to them. The dark hallway beyond the cell only furthered the sense of the walls closing in on him. He knew the ZBI's tiger pair were out there somewhere, but he had been entirely isolated from any other prisoners.

Nick lifted his paws and stared at the dried blood across his claws. He had spent more than two decades running with Finnick on the streets and never gotten into a fight like that before. A fistfight or two, sure, but this had drifted far closer to being under the effects of Night Howlers than Nick was willing to admit out loud. He had been ready to rip out the agent's throat, without any hesitation. Even after being jailed for it, he could not really say he felt any remorse.

Sighing, Nick flopped onto the bed and immediately regretted it. The mattress was paper-thin, and landing hard on it was about as comfortable as intentionally falling onto the cement floor.

Nick closed his eyes, wishing he could sleep until things blew over. It was a pleasant fantasy, even if he knew better. He might not remember all the specifics of the laws he broke, but he knew this easily carried a sentence measured in years, and Snow was not the sort to let him off lightly.

"Never thought I'd end up here," Nick said out loud, putting one arm over his face to shield his eyes from the overhead lights. "As a hustler, maybe…but not now."

A faint chuckle came from somewhere out in the dark hall.

"Some of us had more faith in you to screw this up," Snow said, stepping into the light as Nick lifted his arm, and then sat up. "Sadly, I don't have time to chide you over what you did. I need to get back to the medical office and make sure my partner doesn't lose an eye, as well as oversee his stitches. You…unlike my partner…have visitors waiting."

"Already?" Nick asked, sitting up. "And Zippy…he okay?"

Snow shrugged and shook her head. "We've moved well past cute nicknames. Call him Harry. As for how he's doing, I don't know. All of the wounds I saw were shallow enough that they will mend in time. He should be fine, but I don't know that for certain. Whether you bruised his ego or nearly tore his head off, the charges are the same. You attempted to kill a ZBI agent. There's little else I could call it, after seeing the look in your eyes."

Nick could not bring himself to argue that in the slightest. Instead, he hung his head, staring at his hind paws until Snow padded away into the dark halls of the building. Even the claws on his hind paws had some visible blood on them. He could only imagine how he looked or how bad off Zippy—Harry now—might have been. The blood on Nick was more than he was sure a bunny could afford to lose, let alone the blood left behind at the ZPD. In an effort to shift his mind to nicer thoughts, he briefly wondered what Judy was doing, but ended up having to put her out of mind when he realized that a fox covered in bunny-blood was exactly what her family had feared from him initially.

Minutes passed and Nick began to wonder if Snow actually intended to allow his visitors inside the building. Through the foreboding bars across the front of the cell while covered with blood was hardly how he wanted Judy to see him, but he knew she would come sooner or later. Nothing would stop her. Then, he would have to explain himself.

 _I'll have to let her go_ , Nick told himself, covering his face with one paw. _I'm looking at years in here. This isn't fair to her. She deserves better. She deserves someone who won't be locked away for half a lifetime. She deserves happiness, not waiting on a street crook who thought he could be a cop. She's always deserved more than I can give her. Now, I have to face that reality._

Faint footfalls drew Nick's attention back to the unlit hallway. A moment later, Judy came bounding into the light coming from the overheads in the cell, racing up to press herself against the bars. Right behind her, Markus Fangmeyer walked more deliberately, flanked on either side by the two ZBI tigers who had brought Nick in.

"Nick, are you all right?" Judy asked, wedging her head between the bars, as though trying to get closer. She reached one arm out as far a she could, beckoning him to come to the bars.

Nick took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for him, beginning to end, and he could only imagine what was going through Judy's mind. It took most of his resolve to get off the bed and walk to the bars. Kneeling in front of her, he took her paw in his, pressing it to his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"Dumb fox," she whispered, brushing her fingers through his fur. "What got into you?"

"I heard a thing that didn't sit well." Looking up past Judy, Nick met Fangmeyer's calm stare. The tiger seemed to understand, and moved to the far side of the hallway to give them some tiny bit of solitude. After eyeing Judy and Fangmeyer, the ZBI tigers moved to flank Markus. "Snow told me about what happened at the range."

Judy's fingers tightened on his cheek fur. "What did she tell you?"

"Too much. I think she wanted to shock me." Nick leaned in, letting his muzzle brush Judy's. "She made sure I heard the whole story about how you seduced Zippy. Vivid details. Bare bunny butt on the table and everything."

"Nick…no…that's not—"

"I know, Fluff. I'm not stupid, and it sounded like she paraphrased it from one of your books. I know you'd never do anything like that to me…to us. All those years conning mammals, I can see a lie like that pretty far off. It was all I could do to keep from laughing at her, especially when she embellished."

Judy's paws moved to clasp his. Nick almost pulled away to keep the blood off her paws, but she held firmly. "You were out of your mind when I showed up. You would have killed him if you had the chance. What changed, if you knew they were lying?"

"She tried to gloss over your side of the story," he said, closing his eyes. He really did not want to admit he knew without her telling him, but this might be his last chance to explain himself. "Made it sound like he just got a little overly flirty. I saw how you were when I came home. Reading the truth between the lines wasn't too hard. The hard part was convincing Snow I was fine and to let me spar anyway. You saw the rest."

Judy kissed Nick's forehead, surprising him a little. "You don't need to protect me, Slick. If he needed a beating, that was my job, not yours. This was really stupid."

"Oh, trust me, I know," he admitted, smiling despite the pain he felt in his chest. The longer Judy stayed, the worse he felt. "I wasn't trying to protect you, as much as I was correcting some bad behavior. If he was willing to try something with you, I can only imagine what else has happened with him. I trust you can beat him senseless, but what about the next bunny? Consider this my investment in helping the entire bunny species."

"I can read you as easily as you can read Snow. You're not being entirely honest."

Nick smirked and looked her in the eyes at last. "I might have been protecting you a little. Fox's got a right to be territorial."

Judy laughed sadly, and the way she shook her head reminded Nick a little too much of his mother when he was young. "Territorial, yes. Trying to kill someone, not as much. You're creative, Nick. You could have found another way to ruin his life."

Reaching up, Nick stroked Judy's cheek. The softness of her fur was going to have to be burned into his memory. "I never claimed to be smart, Carrots. The idea of him trying to… What he did was not something I can forgive. If I hadn't hurt him, I'd have felt like I was letting him do it all over again. I'd rather you fight your own battles, but there comes a point when someone has to stand up for their mate. He crossed that line. I'd expect nothing different from you if Snow tried something with me."

"Mate, huh?" Judy asked, giving him a lopsided smile. "Pretty presumptuous, you dumb fox. We barely started calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. Now we're jumping straight to 'mates'? Most of my relatives waited a year or more before that, and you want to push your luck after a month?"

Before Nick could respond, he saw Snow come into the hall from a door that was almost invisible in the poor lighting. She held up one arm and pointed at her watch, letting Nick know he was short on time.

"You should go," he told Judy, and then kissed her forehead as long as he dared. He wanted to tell her to leave him, to get on with her life, but it was more than he could manage. Maybe on her next visit. "Watch out for my mother. I don't know how long…when I'll be able to do it myself."

"Do you want me to tell her what happened?"

Nick winced at that. "No. Lie to her. Finnick, too. They'll probably believe _you_. I spent most of my life expecting to be in a place like this. First real jail time happens after I'm a cop. Mom would never get over finding out. I'd rather she thought I got reassigned, or really anything but the truth."

"I promise she'll be fine when we get you out of here," Judy insisted, squeezing his paw tightly. "We both will be. Worry about keeping yourself safe. We'll worry about getting you out."

Nick smiled grimly, trying to maintain a semblance of positivity even as Judy made her way out of the cell block with the female ZBI tiger. The male remained with Fangmeyer, who stood patiently waiting for Nick.

"Go ahead, tell me I was stupid," Nick said, once Judy was gone.

"No point. Besides, I helped." Markus approached and sat down on the cement, which still left him almost double Nick's height. "What can I do to help?"

Nick shook his head. "I wish I knew. Talk with Bogo. He'll have a better idea than I will."

After a long moment, Fangmeyer looked down the hall toward the door Judy had left through. "She'll be fine, Nick. I swear to you, nothing will happen to her. I owe you that much and more."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, buddy."

"I mean it, Nick. I didn't follow my instincts, and that let her get hurt. This is my fault, not yours. In your place, I would have done far worse."

"Now you're exaggerating. I didn't know I'd do this until I acted. You certainly—"

"I _know_ I would have done worse," the tiger answered firmly. "Military taught me how to hide bodies, and I'll confess, I thought of a few places his would fit. Point is, you need to focus on you. She'll be fine."

"Thank you. Hope to see you both again soon."

Fangmeyer got up slowly, flinching ever so slightly as he put weight on his right arm. For as much trouble as the shoulder gave him day-to-day, Nick had been impressed by the officer's work in the gymnasium. Two on one and he had easily beaten the others. Nick could only imagine how dangerous Markus had been before the injury.

With deliberate calm, Fangmeyer began the slow walk toward the door out of the cell block. He made it only a few steps before the other tiger—the ZBI employee—shoved him to speed him up. Fangmeyer gave no hint he cared, right up until he spun and slammed the larger mammal against the wall, baring his teeth to emphasize the warning. Almost immediately, Fangmeyer released the other tiger and resumed his walk, this time undisturbed.

The door out of the cell block slammed shut with a finality that made Nick want to cry.

"Very touching," Snow said, reminding Nick she was present. He had entirely forgotten her as she stood in the shadows. "Now that they are gone, would you care to discuss today's events?"

"Not even a little." Sliding away from the bars, Nick went to his bed and lay down again.

Her paws making almost no sound on the cement, Snow slunk up to the bars. The way her eyes gleamed in the near-dark of the hall felt to Nick as though she were gloating. "Let me guess. You believe speaking up would endanger your chance of being freed. By remaining silent, you think your chances at trial are better."

Nick kept quiet. She was not wrong. It was about all he had left to put hope into.

"I can set you straight on that," she said, not waiting for him to acknowledge her. From her suit coat, she produced a stapled stack of papers. She tossed the papers into the middle of the cell, raising a small amount of dust in the process. "Those are the laws regarding this matter. Read them if you like, but I'll summarize. First, you waived all rights the moment you attacked a known ZBI agent. You do not get a trial. You do not get a lawyer. For all effective purposes, I own you. I am allowed to hold you until the ZBI takes time out of its schedule to try you. In that trial, your testimony will only matter in determining how long we keep you. As for guilt or innocence, you are guilty because I say you are. Our agency defends this city from outside threats. We have more authority than the ZPD in the courts, and more leeway than the military."

Nick rolled onto his right side to face the wall. "Your pep talks need work. You and Bogo go to the same school for this?"

The tone Snow used quickly shifted from neutral to a taunting one that made Nick want to hit her. "Oh, that's far from the end, Wilde. There is also a mandatory investigation into what made you so reckless. The ZBI will find the money you hid away. They will take everything, leaving your mother to fend for herself. Her condo is as good as gone. Judy's apartment and everything in it, gone as well. You went too far, and others will suffer for it."

Nick curled up, trying to cover his ears so he did not have to listen to her. It was no use with the thin pillow as the only possible ear muff he could find.

"This is why I expect your absolute cooperation," she said, her voice going neutral again. "I can ensure both of the ladies in your life are taken care of, if you do."

Whimpering softly, Nick rolled onto his other side to stare at Snow. "What do you want?"

"We're not there yet, Wilde." The vixen walked quickly away into the unlit portion of the hall. "Soon, but not yet. When I ask for your help, I expect a quick response."

Nick grumbled to himself, until long after Snow was gone. Any chance of sleep was lost with her last few remarks. He had half a mind to read over the laws printed and lying in his cell, but he knew she was gloating because she was correct. They had him dead to rights. Attempting to kill a ZBI agent was not something the law easily forgave.

He sat up after a while—how long was a mystery, with the light overhead giving him no sense of time. Distantly, a door opened and Nick did not bother looking up, assuming it was Snow.

"Are we doing this again?" he asked, his gaze still on the floor. "Once wasn't enough?"

Two figures moved in front of the cell, and Nick looked up to find the two ZBI tiger guards.

"Oh, we haven't even started," the Bengali male on the left told him, grinning wickedly.

The other tiger, a Sumatran female, looked to her partner. "He thinks it's been rough already? We get the really stupid ones, don't we?"

"We do, Lyra. We really do. He still looks confused."

Nick could not argue. He did feel stupid, as he had no idea what was going on. "Trial already? Or does Snow have some other plan for how to piss me off?"

Lyra unlocked the cell, and Nick rolled onto his paws. The two entered quickly, shutting the cell door behind them and relocking it.

"I hear you were one of the three who caught Rolen," the male said, moving to one side of the cell, while Lyra went the other direction. Nick knew that move. They were making him feel trapped so he would panic…and it was working. "Three ZPD officers took down the last great warlord of the south. That right?"

Nick watched Lyra from the edge of his vision, while focusing on the male. They continued to inch along the edge of the cell walls toward him. "That's right. Looking for tips? How long did you hunt for him?"

"Three years," Lyra responded, drawing Nick's attention her way. "Eight agents died in the jungles over those years. He broke my original partner's neck in front of me."

"Well, when you write out the thank you notes," Nick began, trying to keep his voice calm, no matter how he felt, "My last name has an 'e' on the end. Everyone gets that wrong."

Both tigers chuckled without a hint of humor as they reached the head and foot of his bed.

"Maybe you both weren't aware," Nick tried again, hoping to prevent the violence he felt coming, "but I am seeing someone. She gets a little possessive, so maybe we should all take a step or two back. No reason to confuse her nose here. She doesn't believe in sharing. I mean, you're both attractive mammals, but she won't understand."

"The bunny?" asked the male, rolling his eyes. "You disgust me, Wilde. Stick to your own."

"Okay, maybe not the best topic. How's Zippy?" Nick winced as the word came out. Defusing the situation was likely not going to happen if he insulted their coworker. "Harry. How is Harry?"

Nick looked back and forth between the tigers, but it was Lyra who spoke next.

"He was looking forward to seeing Rolen in a cage for the rest of his life. Yet somehow, ZPD catches him and less than a week later, he's gone," she practically purred at him. "Escaped. Eight agents aren't getting avenged because your department screwed up."

Nick glanced over his shoulder and found that the other tiger had moved to stand nearly atop him. If they were trying to intimidate him, it was remarkably successful.

"Listen," he told the two, raising his paws to hopefully stop them both from advancing. "First, I wasn't part of that unit. We did the arrest, which was successful. Second, it was the ZBI-managed handover that failed. Definitely no way that's my—"

"And then you tried to kill Harry," the male cut in.

"I… Yes, I did," Nick replied, swallowing nervously. "I can explain why—"

Nick wasn't even sure which of them hit him first, but it mattered little as a fist knocked him right off the bed. Given their size, the tigers could have killed him in seconds if they wanted to, but blow after blow rained down on him as he curled up on the floor trying to shield himself. He even attempted to get farther under the lip of the bed, but as soon as he slid that way, Lyra threw the bed aside with a deafening clang, and the beatings resumed. At some point, he felt something stab into his hip, which he assumed to be a slip of their claws.

The pummeling subsided eventually and the tigers left, but by then Nick was so dazed that he barely noticed. His whole body hurt and he could taste blood. This time, it was his own. When he tried to climb back onto his bed, he collapsed and decided it would be easier to stay where he was. With a bit of extra effort, he managed to pull the bed's blanket and pillow down onto the floor.

In his sleepy and sick-feeling state, Nick felt around the pockets of his clothes until he found the keys he had stolen from the male tiger. Lyra had unlocked the door as they had departed, letting the theft go unnoticed. With luck—once he was more awake—he would have the means to escape the ZBI if the trial went poorly. Weak and dizzy, he had enough presence of mind to slip the keys between his bed's frame and the paper-thin mattress.

"Are we comfortable?" came Snow's voice, though now the echo within the building made Nick's head pound.

"That your welcome party?" he asked, unable to lift his head enough to look at her. When he tried, his stomach churned. Thankfully, she seemed not to have noticed him hiding the keys. "I prefer balloons and cake. Maybe red velvet?"

The tapping of Snow's paws on the floor stopped somewhere near the front of the cell. "Dammit. No, this is not my doing. I can't see well from here, but your face is swollen. What happened, Wilde?"

Nick rubbed his paw across his muzzle and held it in front of his eyes—or rather, eye, given that the right was not opening far enough to see. Fresh blood covered the fur, contrasting with the dried blood from his earlier fight.

"I probably deserved it," he muttered, letting his arm drop. "Don't act so surprised. I'm not stupid, Snow. You're probably planning a parade in their honor."

Keys rattled in the lock and a second later, Snow was at his side. Gentle paws lifted his face as she examined his injuries. "This is bad. Locking you in a cell for the rest of your life is one thing, but ending your life is quite another. Wilde, stay awake. Wilde?"

Nick could not make himself answer. The sense of nausea was growing, and he worried he would throw up in Snow's lap. For some reason, his mind stuck on trying to figure out what he had last eaten, so he knew what was about to stain Snow's suit.

One of Snow's paws left Nick's face and he heard the buzz of a radio. "Dispatch, I need a trauma team to the holding cells immediately! Possible head injury with concussion or worse. No questions. Move! Prepare for a transfusion!"

Nick's consciousness drifted, and for a moment, he thought he saw a familiar room around him. The wallpaper was newer than he remembered. Though the fox staring down at him was not entirely fitting the memories, he could not quite make his mind focus. In his dazed condition, he saw a more familiar vixen with her fur having gone pale with age or poor lighting.

"Mom?" he mumbled, trying to figure out why his bed was so hard. "Where's dad?"

"Shit, Wilde, stay with me."

"Not going anywhere, Mom. Just gonna sleep for a few minutes."

"Wilde. Wilde! Keep your eyes open. Do not go to sleep!"

Nick felt the world begin to fall away as he slumped in Snow's arms. Faintly, he heard her shouting for help, but he was too dizzy to care.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.4 – For the Greater Good

 **August 13** **th** **, Saturday – Savanna Central Apartments**

Judy woke more quickly than usual, wondering why Nick was not wrapped around her, nibbling on the sensitive tips of her ears. The alarm usually went off shortly after he had begun pestering her, and no matter how irritating it was to have a nocturnal boyfriend sleeping lightly, suddenly having him not touching her seemed that much more startling. Even without the alarm, Nick's absence felt jarring. On a weekend, he would normally be even more insistent that she pay attention to him if he woke up.

Rolling over, Judy stared at the other side of their bed, and the flat sheets where she expected to see her red-furred love. She slid her paw to where he should have been, finding the bed cold there. Only then did the previous day's events begin to come back to her.

"My stupid, stupid fox," she muttered, sliding over to his side of the bed. The scent of him lingered more strongly there, and she drew it in as the only part of him she could cling to. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

A faint creak outside the bedroom sent Judy's ears shooting up, and her eyes wide. For the briefest moment, she hoped Nick was somehow home. Her rational mind quickly judged the sound to be someone far heavier than him. Moreover, that someone was shifting on the couch.

 _Fangmeyer_ , she realized, letting her ears fall. _I really thought he would go after I went to bed, even if he said he wouldn't. That tiger is far too loyal._

Judy stayed where she was a little longer, desperately wishing she could wake up again, but this time without the events of the last day being truth. No matter how many times she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, the room did not change and Nick did not appear. Somehow, the morning could not begin without her special someone nipping affectionately at her. She could ask Fangmeyer for a great many things as a friend—that was well across the line, and not even remotely appealing to her.

An uneasy sense of sickness washed over Judy, triggering her to curl up into a ball and struggle to even consider getting out of bed. She tugged on her ears habitually, waiting for the desire to vomit to fade, but it did not. After a minute or more of the sensation, her eyes snapped open as she realized she had seen these symptoms before in several of her siblings.

 _No, no, no, no!_ she screamed silently. _Please let it just be depression and not… That takes a year or two to sink in. Just because I've known him almost a year doesn't mean I'm already in that deep. I'm depressed that he's gone and the sickness is…something._

Judy thought through her speciesology classes and recognized there were plenty of symptoms backing up the idea that she was biologically in a state of withdrawal from her mate, but many other symptoms were missing. This was not the way things would be if she were truly attached to Nick. This was only a sampling—a bunny losing someone she loved and _might_ have begun to attach to. If so, she had no desire to ever experience the real thing, and finally understood why some bunnies stopped eating after losing their partner of years. She had seen several of her siblings go through similar symptoms after someone they had been with a long time had died. One had died within weeks of his partner.

 _He's not gone_ , she reminded herself, dragging herself out from under the covers. Sitting up was a huge effort, making her feel worse than she had after hangovers. Idly, she stared at the broken claws on her right hind paw, flexing the swollen toes as far as they would go—not broken, at least. _He's in jail. It's not the same. We can get him back. I might have to be alone for a little while, but not forever. I'm just feeling sick from worry and not eating anything yesterday._

Judy forced a fake smile and bounded out of bed…only to stumble and land hard on her knees, elbows, and face. Her hind paw was more swollen than she had expected, and it decided not to support her full weight, at least not when jumping. Putting on the fake smile was that much harder the second time, with her knees and palms scraped up from the bad landing.

She straightened her shoulders once she was standing again, hoping to put on her best act for Fangmeyer. If the previous night was any indication, the tiger was scared she would do something stupid or was expecting something awful to happen to her. A good show of her chipper normal self would probably go far in convincing him to let her deal with her problems on her own.

Opening the door from the bedroom, Judy made her way out into the front room, where Markus was sitting up on the couch, looking for all the world as though he had not slept a moment. At her arrival, he nodded in acknowledgement, before stopping and staring a little too intently for Judy's comfort.

"What?" she asked, thinking he was looking at her paws or knees. The scrapes were relatively innocuous, so she doubted that was it. His gaze was too high to be on her swollen hind paw.

"While I would enjoy the view under other circumstances, I don't think you thought about what you are wearing, Hopps."

Judy looked down again, and realized he was right. She wore what she usually did for bed. Most nights, it was either a long nightshirt that came to her knees and little else. A few nights each week, especially when she was hoping to catch Nick's attention—or when missing him—she wore a shorter shirt that barely reached her lower ribs and a lacy pair of panties one of her sisters had convinced her to buy. The latter outfit was what she had changed into the night before without thinking and now stood in front of a coworker wearing. Self-consciously, she slapped her arms across her midriff, though that did little to cover much.

"Not into bunnies, so you're fine," Fangmeyer admitted, sounding bored. "Just figured you didn't really want to show off like that. Of the two of you, Nick's the one I'd expect to see walking around half-naked. Actually, he's one I _know_ would do it, after seeing him parade around the locker room."

Judy decided to ignore the entire situation and hope she could manage to feel less uneasy at having someone other than Nick in the apartment…eventually. "Can I make you something for breakfast? I think Nick still has some bug-burger meats and maybe some eggs."

Markus shook his head. "No thanks, I'm fine and should probably get going. I'll make sure I have my phone available, in case you need anything. Don't hesitate to ask. If you don't ask, I'll keep showing up to make sure you take care of yourself."

"That's awfully sweet of you," she said, beaming. She still felt awful, but the kindness helped the act feel more natural. "You don't need to."

"I do," Fangmeyer replied, without looking at her. "I promised Nick I'd make sure you were okay."

"I _am_ okay."

"Hold out your paw and tell me that."

Judy help out one paw, before she realized Fangmeyer was checking for the very symptoms she had felt while lying in bed. Her paw shook a little, and it took great effort to steady it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he told her, sighing. "I've worked in the city my whole life. I know bunnies, Hopps. The next two weeks are going to be rough, but you'll get better. Until then, I will be watching out for you, whether you like it or not. If we're lucky, we can find some way to convince them to release him by then, anyway."

"Thanks." Judy fidgeted a little, even going so far as to tug on one ear. "I mean it. Thank you."

Markus nodded and stood up slowly, stretching his whole body with a series of loud cracks. Judy could only stare in amazement as he worked the kinks out of his limbs, wondering how he did not break and fall apart with that much noise.

"No, the bullet in the shoulder wasn't the only on-the-job injury," he said without glancing at her. "Be careful on the streets, Hopps. You don't want to end up like this old broken tiger."

Judy scrunched up her nose and cocked her head. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Almost forty," he told her, picking up his ZPD jacket off the floor.

 _Not that much old than Nick_ , she realized, biting her lip to keep quiet. _This job might be more dangerous than I considered._

After a few goodbyes, Fangmeyer meandered out of the apartment, leaving Judy alone with her thoughts in the empty room.

The first few minutes were easy, as Judy was too numb to really feel them pass. After that, she forced herself to do something—anything—to keep from thinking about what was really going on. She needed some time before she could set her mind to saving Nick. Ultimately, she needed to get herself back on-track before she had any hope of helping him.

"I can do this," she told herself, putting paws to hips and surveying the apartment. "Clean the place up a little, and then I can worry about getting out to Podunk. Job, duty, responsibility. This isn't any different from any other day."

On any other day, Judy would have leapt right into cleaning—and dragged Nick along—but even finding a place to start felt monumental, despite the apartment not being in bad shape. Soon, she limped around the apartment, picking up a few dishes and clothes that had been discarded in the process of getting ready for work the previous day. She got as far as the window end of the main room, when she stopped to pick up one of Nick's heavy winter coats, which should not have been out so early in the fall, anyway.

The coat itself was nothing special, other than that it weighed far more than Judy was expecting. This, in and of itself, was no real surprise when a sixteen pound bunny—well, closer to seventeen after a month of Nick's less than healthy cooking—lived with a forty pound fox. She often misgauged the weight of Nick's belongings. A coat was not something she expected that from, though.

Rifling through the pockets, Judy pulled one thing after another out of them. Nick's spare service tranquillizer pistol, which he had lost recently. A bag of blueberry hard candies. Each item lightened the coat significantly, until Judy was about to stop searching pockets and put it away. Instead, she chose to finish the job and keep hunting, wondering what else Nick had "lost" within the coat. In just a month, she had learned that anything he claimed was missing was likely secreted away somewhere he had forgotten.

Judy's fingers dug into yet another hidden pocket—something that no longer surprised her to find after accepting Nick's past as a hustler—and came down on a small box. Thinking she had found something she would need to either destroy or turn over to Finnick, she pulled the box out and stared at the velvet blue jewelry case. A tiny card was fastened to it, with the words, "To my favorite carrot."

Judy did not know whether to quickly hide the box again or open it. Her birthday was still almost a month out, and she was shocked Nick would have taken the initiative to shop so early. If anything, she expected him to be the sort to go shopping the night before.

She stood there for a long time, staring at the box on her palm, unsure what to do. It felt somehow wrong to open it with Nick gone, even if he did intend it to go to her eventually. The little rational voice in the back of her mind urged her to hide it again and wait for him to get home. The less rational part of her mind warned that even if he was released from custody without charges, it could easily take a month. By then, the present would already be late.

"Okay," she said softly, going a little cross-eyed staring at the box up-close. "If I open it now, I can pretend I didn't if Nick's back in time. One little peek won't be a big deal. It's just going to be some little thing he thought looked pretty one day. Don't be surprised if it belongs in a gumball machine."

Gingerly, Judy lifted the lid of the box and found a gold locket inside, shaped like a carrot. With the tip of her claw, she popped the clasp on the locket and opened it up. Inside, there was a small picture of her curled up with her cheek on Nick's chest, smiling happily. She had no memory of the picture being taken, so she had to guess Nick had taken it while she was asleep. Still, it was adorable beyond words, with Nick's muzzle nestled between her ears and both of their eyes closed.

Judy moved to close the locket and saw that it was inscribed on the inner-lid: _Love always._

Sniffling, Judy snapped the box shut and shook off the sadness. He would be home soon. She had lost nothing beyond a few days of his antics, so there was no reason to be moping.

"Dumb, sentimental, cuddly fox," she mumbled, picking up the coat again. She headed toward the hallway closet near the bathroom. "Why does he have to be so perfect when it comes to…to us? Bunnies are supposed to be emotional! Why is the fox so much better at this?"

Sighing, Judy set the jewelry box on the small table in the hall, where Nick usually threw his keys. She then lifted the coat, intending to hang it in the closet, but doing so brought it near her nose. The whole liner of the jacket smelled like Nick, a scent she was sorely missing.

Judy let her arms fall and stared at the closet a little longer. At length, she unzipped the liner of the jacket and hung the coat in the closet, but took the soft lining into the bedroom with her. Climbing up onto the bed and under the blankets, she wrapped her arms around the coat liner and buried her face in it, breathing in the faintly musky aroma of fox, which the liner had managed to absorb despite the odor neutralizing shampoos most mammals used.

"I can't help in Podunk," she told herself, nuzzling the coat, wishing she could convince herself it was him instead. Even so, it helped with the more immediate heartbreak. "Five more minutes, then I'll get up and be an adult. First stop, shower. Second stop, Nick's mother. Last stop, the train to Bunnyburrow. You can do this, Judy. Just stop rubbing your face on his things and get up. This is undignified."

Two hours later, Judy actually carried through on her plan, dragging herself out of the bed and into a brief shower. Even the shower went longer than she intended, largely owing to how much better her injured paw felt after a little while in the warm water.

At long last, Judy managed to make herself get dressed, wrap her hind paw to control the swelling, and face the day. No matter how many times she reminded herself Nick was fine, but taking a short trip with the ZBI, she could not shake the sense that he was gone forever. That feeling continued as she slid on a light jacket and paced around the apartment, trying to decide what to take with her for a day or two in Bunnyburrow, most of which she shoved unceremoniously into a bunny-sized duffle.

When all was packed and Judy felt certain the apartment would endure without her for the weekend, she went through the small place, turning off most of the lights and verifying—again—there was no water running. Once her personal worries were alleviated, she headed toward the door, stopping as she passed the hall table.

The boxed locket felt entirely out of place, drawing her in.

"He doesn't need to know," she said, taking the locket from the box and putting it around her neck. Self-consciously, she tucked it down into her shirt. Somehow, carrying it without Nick's go-ahead felt a little like bringing her fox-repellent spray when she first spent time with him, but she ignored the part of her mind that told her to put it back. Reminding herself he would absolutely have gone through presents he found helped remarkably. "It'll be like he's with me, until he can be again."

Judy slung her duffle over her shoulder and headed out, glad to be moving. The farther she got from her bed, the better she felt and the less real the previous day seemed. Adding to the sense of detachment, her cruiser was parked out front, likely brought back by Fangmeyer.

"Well that makes everything easier," she said cheerfully. Though the adjustment of the seat for going from a tiger-sized driver to a bunny-sized took several minutes of waiting, it felt good to be back in control. She did not have to wait on the subway, and would not have to sit around until the train left the city. Setting her own pace felt far more relaxed.

The first leg of her trip was the shortest, but also the one she was dreading most. The last time Judy had spoken with Marian Wilde had been the day the couch had been delivered. She had been adamant that Judy call if there were any questions, no matter how weird, up to and including anything "that idiot boy of hers couldn't or wouldn't explain." This did not feel as though it qualified as something she should call about. Showing up in person would be far rougher on both of them, but it was the right thing to do.

Judy slowed the cruiser and pulled off the road, letting traffic pass her. She was overlooking something. Not only would Marian want to know why Nick was going to be away a while, she and Finnick might be the only two Judy could turn to for advice on how to get him out. They were both clever beyond words, and more than willing to bend the rules to get their way. For once, that seemed to be exactly what she needed.

On the other paw, she was not supposed to be letting them know the reality of what had happened. That complicated things.

"They'll see through my lies in seconds," Judy reasoned, smiling for real this time. "Especially with both in one room, there's no way I can trick them. Nick, I have no idea if you planned this or not, but it's perfect."

Judy sped off again, this time searching the alleys for Finnick's van. The unique look of the vehicle and the limited places to hide it allowed her to track him down in under twenty minutes. When she pulled in behind him, flipping on her lights, the fennec threw open the doors of the van, baseball bat in paw and wearing only boxers and a t-shirt.

"Aw hell, what I done now?" he demanded, rubbing at his dirty shirt. Behind him, Judy could see what looked like two coyote females in the van, though they were trying to stay hidden under some blankets. "You know this is profiling, right? Just cuz you're with Nick don't mean you can bust me every week. We didn't do nothing in public this time. I ain't even really drunk."

"Finnick," she said, getting out of her vehicle. Instead of letting her speak, Finnick kept right on ranting, descending into a tirade of profanities Judy could barely process, aside from them having something to do with her ancestry and a carrot. "Hey…hey…FINNICK!"

"…and your mother's—what? Why ain't you in uniform, bunny?"

Judy stared at him, tapping her hind paw as he calmed down. Eventually, he set down the baseball bat, and looked around with the faintest hint of shame. That was what she had been waiting for. "Finnick, I need you to come with me. We're going to see Marian."

"Oh shit," he replied, shoulders and giant ears sinking. "Which of us is in trouble?"

"Nick."

Finnick looked slightly relieved, but turned around and whispered something to the coyotes. They hurriedly dressed, while Judy averted her eyes, and Finnick hopped off the back bumper to walk over to her.

"What'd the dummy do this time?" he asked, squinting up at her. "Can't say I even have a guess. If you weren't a cop, I'd think he needs bailing outta jail."

Judy tried to decide what she could and could not tell him. Stalling seemed prudent. "Let's wait until we get to his mother's place. I'd rather not tell this twice."

Finnick glanced back at his van and the two females trying to find their undergarments. "Can we take your car? Might be a bit of a wait on them, otherwise."

"You okay with taking a police cruiser?"

"Yeah, course I am." Finnick held up both paws to her. "Cuff me."

"But you aren't—"

"Shush!" he hissed back, checking over his shoulder. Neither coyote had looked up. "I know I ain't under arrest. Just make it look like I am. A fox is only as good as his reputation. Damn, bunny, didn' Nick teach you anything?"

Judy really did not know what to make of the argument, and instead opted to just play along. This was not a day she really wanted to fight with Finnick over incredibly stupid things.

Leaning back into the cruiser, she dug around near her seat until she found a spare pair of small pawcuffs. She took those, came back around her door, and stared at Finnick as he waited calmly to be cuffed. This was possibly her only opportunity to get revenge for so many things the monster had done to her and Nick over the last two months. No reason to waste it. She could not help giving him a wicked smile.

"Finnick, you are under arrest," she proudly announced, drawing the attention of the two coyotes, who watched with more than a little coy amusement. Holding the cuffs in one paw, Judy reached for Finnick, whose demeanor still suggested he expected this to be very routine—and given how badly he hid it, Judy knew Nick was the real actor between them.

Grabbing one of Finnick's paws, Judy yanked the smaller mammal off-balance. She spun him before he could attempt to regain his balance, and shoved him hard against the wheel of her cruiser, face-first. When he started to object, she slammed her shoulder into his back, while she twisted his arms behind him and snapped the cuffs tight.

"Stop resisting, or I'll add extra charges," Judy warned, trying hard to keep from smirking.

"Hey! Hey!" Finnick whispered. "Don't need to overdo it!"

"Are you resisting?" Judy asked, pulling him away from the tire by the cuffs. "I will not hesitate to use non-lethal force if you continue. You're going downtown, even if I have to carry you, drooling and unconscious the whole way."

Finnick's eyes went wide, and his ears turned to focus entirely on Judy. "We're still acting, right?"

In reply, Judy gave him a broad smile. For the first time that day, she felt a sliver of joy. There was something truly cathartic about arresting that fox. When he did not continue objecting, she pushed him around the vehicle, and put him in the back seat.

Hopping back into the driver's seat, Judy set off again for Nick's mother's condo. The drive was not a long one, aside from Finnick's almost constant complaints about the pawcuffs being too tight. When the condo came into sight, he finally stopped whining, even after she parked the cruiser.

"I was sort of hoping to try out my ZPD taser," Judy told him as she opened the back door to let him out. As soon as his paws hit the ground, he immediately spun around, wiggling his arms to remind her he was cuffed. "Don't you think you could resist a little more?"

"Could, but I ain't stupid," he insisted, bouncing up and down a little as he continued to move his arms around. "Nick may be into some kinky stuff, but even he don't like being tased. Think he said your family taught him that."

Judy froze with her paws on the cuffs, nose twitching. Somehow, Finnick always managed to bait her with comments like the one about Nick's kinks, and it took far too much of her willpower not to ask. She believed—hoped, perhaps—he was always lying. Discussing bunny romance novels with Nick had been hard enough. Discussing anything kinky which began with "Finnick said" was downright terrifying. After a minute of internal debate, she went ahead and removed the cuffs, to a relieved sigh from Finnick.

"Startin' to think you'd keep me locked up," the smaller mammal told her, smiling up at her. "Glad to see you're still house-broken."

Judy stepped to her left and reached into the driver's seat, grabbing the ZPD-issued taser she had already warned him about. As soon as the taser appeared, Finnick snapped his mouth shut.

"Let's go," Judy told him, tucking the taser into her coat.

Judy led the way up into the condo complex, showing her badge as they passed the front desk to ensure the employee there did not argue with her. She had learned that lesson the day Marian had been kidnapped, and had no desire to spend time debating her authority to see her boyfriend's mother again. Thankfully, the fox at the desk kept quiet as she and Finnick marched past, sparing her having to explain why she was in street clothes, while trying to claim she was on official ZPD business.

They soon reached the elevator, which was waiting for them. Stepping onto it, Judy pressed the button for the top floor, already dreading the slothlike pace of the building's elevators. Deep down, she wished she had taken the stairs, even if she knew Finnick never would have kept up, and her bandaged paw would likely have swollen more in the process. Given Finnick's love of smoking—something illegal, she was willing to bet—he would be gasping by the second floor.

Four floors. It was not far in the grand scheme of things, but the elevator creeped along, and by the second floor, Judy's hind paw rapidly tapped the floor.

"Hey, Officer McHumpy," Finnick offered, sounding casual enough that it would be easy to believe he was an idiot, and not just trying to goad her into conflict.

"Don't call me that. I've warned you before."

"Sorry, cutey."

Judy rounded on Finnick, grabbing a pawful of his shirt. "Did someone drop you on your head as a kit?"

"No, no, nothin' like that," he told her, grinning toothily. "Just a good way to get you to pay attention. What're we doin' here? Mom gets worried when I show up."

"She should." Judy released Finnick's shirt and glared up at the floor indicator, which still said "2." "We have a lot to discuss."

"Ooooh, I get it now," he responded, whistling softly. "You found a way to get knocked up. I didn't think that sort of thing happened with foxes and bunnies, but leave it to you. I knew my Nick was serious about this. Musta worked really hard at making that stick."

Judy stared at him in disbelief, trying unsuccessfully to determine if he was teasing her or serious. She could not make up her mind which led her to believe he was not sure, either. "I'm not pregnant. And no, it's not possible. Bunny and hare, sure. Fox and wolf, iffy, but maybe. Fox and bunny, not happening."

Finnick blinked a few times. "Oh. Right. So why are we here?"

"I…" Judy let the statement trail off, staring at the floor indicator, which had only advanced by one. For some reason, she realized she would rather discuss sexual topics with Finnick than what she was about to say. "…need your help."

"Sweet chickens on Sunday!" Finnick sat down, right in the middle of the elevator. "Gimme a moment. Gotta let this sink in."

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened. Finnick scrambled to his paws and followed Judy out onto the top floor of the condo building. They made their way down the hall, and soon were within sight of Marian's door.

"Please let me get this out before you say more stupid things," Judy warned Finnick, stopping in front of the door. "This is really important."

"I believe that. Won't say a word until you can say what's goin' on. Won't even joke about you being pregnant, no matter how great mom's expression would be."

Thanking him, Judy knocked on the door and waited. Her stomach felt leaden as she waited, dreading the conversation that was to come, especially since she had not yet figured out how she intended to break the news to Marian. Even worse, she had no idea how to say it without admitting to things she was supposed to be keeping secret, per her promise to Nick. With luck, Finnick would figure it out before she said anything specific, allowing her to blame him for the broken promise.

From behind the door, Judy heard paws on carpet, and she prepared herself for the hardest part of the day. She would stand tall and admit to Nick's mother…

The door opened and Judy found herself looking into the eyes of Agent Snow, standing not nearly as tall as Marian. Behind her, Marian sat in one of the room's chairs, holding her cane tightly in one paw.

"By the bear… Hello, Officer Hopps," Snow said, sighing without any attempt to conceal her disappointment. "And I see you brought Wilde's so-called brother. You saved me a lot of work, but neither of you were animals I was prepared to see yet. Since you are here, please come in and join us. I only got here a few minutes ago."

Judy hesitated, even as Finnick pushed past her into the condo, taking a seat near Marian. She wanted to demand why Snow was there, but something in the vixen's exhausted demeanor made Judy question whether to say anything. She finally decided to hear Snow out, and hope for the chance to talk with Finnick and Marian afterward privately.

"I take it you were coming here to break the news of Wilde's…situation?" Snow asked, leading Judy into the room, motioning vaguely toward the couch. "Please take a seat. I will handle explanations."

Judy stopped halfway to the couch and stared Snow down. After a few seconds, the vixen looked away. "No, I will not be speaking ill of him, Hopps. I bear no ill will toward either of you. You may not like me very much right now, but I am sincerely trying to do right by everyone. I allowed things to get out of control."

Grumbling to herself, Judy took a seat on the couch. She briefly met Marian's worried glance, but then all eyes turned to Snow for an explanation.

"Given the way I am being watched, I assume Hopps has not filled either of you in on any part of this?" Snow asked, pacing the room nervously. She alternated between wringing her paws and wiping her glasses on her suitcoat. "I had hoped for some reprieve there. No such luck. Missus Wilde, Finnick, we had a small incident yesterday at the ZPD in which Officer Wilde and one of my agents had a…dispute. Let's call it a territorial dispute. This led to Wilde being taken into custody until such time as he could cool down. My intention was to scare him into cooperating, and then dropping all charges."

Judy opened her mouth to object, and to point out the severity of what Snow had charged him with, but stopped when the agent gave her a very slight warning shake of her head. If Snow actually wanted to make it out to be less than it was, Judy could not really argue.

"During his time in my custody, Officer Wilde was left alone in his cell." Snow stopped, her gaze on the carpet, as though searching for words.

"Cut the nonsense," Marian interjected firmly. "I know stalling when I see it. Both of my boys were professionals at it. Is my son all right or not, and are we talking about me finding a lawyer or a bail bondsman?"

Snow opened her mouth and closed it again, giving Judy a worried glance. That brief look set Judy's stomach to churning. Something had happened. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to hide in her bed with Nick's coat again.

"No." Snow let out a slow breath. "He's not all right. Another mammal took offense to things he had done or said. By the time we found him, he was barely responsive. Medical teams tried—"

Judy's heart skipped several beats and she tried to get up, to go to Snow and demand answers, but she could not make her legs move. She could only gasp for breath, with her head hung forward, her ears covering her face. To her surprise, Finnick reached over and put a gentle paw on her back, trying to soothe her.

Marian got to her paws and marched across the small room, somehow imposing despite her cane and only having a few inches on Snow. "What happened to my son? Spit it out, or I will wring it out of you. I'm not above spanking an adult, and it's fairly entertaining to watch one cry if I do."

To Judy's surprise, Snow actually backed away, keeping her ears low. "Wilde…Nick…he was bleeding badly. We did all we could. He passed late last night. The mammal who attacked him is in custody and will be facing murder charges. I am so very sorry. This was never something we intended. We only wanted to scare him."

"When can we see him?" Judy heard herself asking, though she could not feel anything. Her whole body and mind felt numb.

"Today," Snow answered quickly, taking another partial step back from Marian. "ZBI policy does not allow me to show you the body, but I owe you that much. Judy, you know the address. They will let the three of you in. I can't give you much time, I'm afraid. Perhaps five minutes or so. Longer and my supervisor is likely to find out, and he will press charges against all of us. I will give you as much time as I can manage."

The whole room remained silent for several minutes, with Snow frantically looking between them, her guilt over the events evident in every aspect of her posture and expression.

Judy and Marian both hovered on the verge of breakdown. The older fox sat down on the couch beside Judy, clutching at her chest as she openly struggled against tears. Judy was doing no better, the numbness of shock all that kept her from curling up and weeping.

To Judy's surprise, it was neither of them that broke down first. It was Finnick. Without a hint of shame or reservation, the smaller fox wept into his paws. He fell apart rapidly, and soon slid down onto the floor, putting his back to the couch as he sobbed.

"I need to get back," Snow whispered, her brow crinkled in dismay. "I cannot express my condolences enough. Give me an hour or two, but please, come when you can. We will do whatever we can. And Hopps, the trip you were intending to take on behalf of the ZPD can wait. I've delayed action on Bunnyburrow several days to give you some time to deal with this first. Whatever time you need, I will make it work with the chief."

Snow excused herself and left the condo, where the only sounds for a while were Finnick's sobs. Soon, Judy and Marian passed their own limits of grief and began crying, too. They clutched at each other for support, bunny and fox sharing the pain of losing someone dear to them.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.5 – For the Greater Good

 **August 13** **th** **, Saturday Late Afternoon – Undisclosed Location, Outer Canal District**

An hour later, Judy stood in front of the nondescript old house the ZBI used, with one paw holding Marian's. She could not decide if the wait to come or actually being there was more difficult, but the combination left her sicker than she had ever been in her life. Twice on the way to the house, she had been forced to step into alleys and vomit, as her body fought to express how deeply bothered it was. Now, staring at the door of the building, she dearly wished there was something left in her stomach to expel, if only to get a momentary sense of relief.

Through the entire trip, Marian had remained deathly silent. The older fox stared straight ahead, barely acknowledging anything around her, including Judy's efforts to speak with her during the drive.

"She might be lying," Judy said once again, as much for her own benefit as Marian's. "We don't know it's true, yet."

Nick's mother nodded slightly, but kept quiet. The only indication she really heard what Judy was saying was a tightening of her left paw on Judy's, through which Marian was communicating more than she seemed able to through words.

Looking back, Judy checked on Finnick, who remained with the police cruiser. He had planned to be with them, but as soon as they arrived, he had been unable to bring himself to continue. Even a block away, Judy could see he was leaned against the cruiser's tire, face in his paws. For all Finnick's tough demeanor on the streets, he was as emotional as Nick had been.

With no reason to wait, Judy began walking, with Marian following at her side. The vixen's cane rapped ominously with each step, reinforcing the sense of finality Judy felt in the approach to the old building. More than once, Judy had to slow her pace to keep from pulling the taller mammal's paw.

At their approach, the door to the building opened, and Judy found herself facing Agent Snow, with a large male tiger standing guard behind her. For some reason, the tiger quickly averted his eyes, as though feeling guilty about something. _Maybe he blames himself for not protecting Nick_ , Judy thought, putting the tiger out of her mind.

"I'm glad you both were able to come," Snow offered, motioning them inside. "My supervisor is finishing up right now, but I'll slip you both in after he's gone. As I said earlier, we won't have much time."

Snow did not wait for either of them to reply—not that Judy was convinced she could or that Marian would—leading them into the bowels of the ZBI safe house.

The last time Judy had been there, Snow had taken them on a fairly straight route to the holding cell where Nick had been kept, but this time, she navigated around the far side of the building and down a flight of steps. There, Judy had to slow and help Marian down the stairs, while Snow paused at the bottom for them.

"We're almost to the morgue," Snow told them, once they were moving again.

Something in that struck Judy as wrong. "You maintain a morgue in your safe house?"

Snow stopped walking and looked over her shoulder. "Yes. We try to keep everything entirely isolated by district, so we never have to reveal our movements by rushing to another location."

"But a morgue?" Something was seriously wrong with the scenario, though Judy could not quite put her finger on it. "How many agents do you lose that you need a morgue in every district? That's a lot of missing mammals. I'm trying to understand how the ZPD would not have heard about it by now."

Snow's eyes narrowed, and her whiskers twitched the way Nick's did when Judy caught him in a boldfaced lie. It could have meant something different for Snow, but Judy wondered if she had found a common trait among foxes. "I do not have time to explain our operations to you, bunny. Do you want to see him or not? We have time for one or the other, but not both."

Judy looked up at Marian, but she was still staring numbly straight ahead. "Yes, we do. I'm sorry."

Snow glowered a moment longer, and then set off down the hallway again. Judy followed her through several turns and a set of double-doors, leading into a section of the complex which appeared almost entirely new. New to the point of smelling like freshly cut wood and glue. It was not something Judy had expected, but she did not know how long the ZBI had been using the building.

Faintly, Judy heard Snow press a button on a radio at her hip, but the fox did not pick it up or say anything. It could have been an accident, or a signal to someone she was nearing the morgue.

"Wait here," Snow told them, stopping before another door. Peeking through it, she winced and kept one paw on the handle. "My supervisor is still inside. When he's gone, I'll usher you in and come get you when it looks like he might return. You might under ten minutes. I cannot promise more than that."

Judy nodded and tightened her grip on Marian's paw. Straining her ears, she could faintly make out a mammal moving in the room beyond. Small paws on metal floor. Possibly smaller than a bunny. A few seconds later, she picked up the sound of another door closing and the radio at Snow's hip vibrated. Definitely a signal of some sort.

"He's gone," the agent said, squinting at the small gap between the door and its frame. "Go in. I'll be back in a few minutes. When I come back, you must leave immediately."

Judy's ZPD training made her want to ask a dozen questions, including "If that was your supervisor in there, who buzzed you to say he was leaving?" With limited time, that would have to wait. She wanted this over and done with, so she and Nick's mother could begin to mourn properly.

The door was opened by Snow, and Judy hurried Marian inside, following her into the cold metal and bare wooden room beyond. It did look like the ZPD morgue, but far smaller. A single examination table lay in the middle of the room, with a large light overhead, and doors on opposite walls. What was missing in Judy's mind were freezers for the bodies. Likely, those were in another area, but it stood out as the one detail that did not fit.

The table at the center of the room contained a body, covered in a white sheet. A single sniff confirmed things for Judy, but she had come too far to walk away without seeing him. There was always that faint hope she was wrong.

"Are you still okay to do this?" she asked Marian, squeezing her paw briefly. Marian blinked and squeezed back, nodding faintly, her attention locked on the sheet. "I'll…I'll do the identifying of the body, if you want."

Marian's jaw clenched and she pulled her paw away from Judy. "Show me. If it's not him, I want to be ready to beat that vixen into a bloody heap. If it is him, I need to convince myself."

Unable to really argue the point, Judy moved to the edge of the table. Judy could have pulled the sheet off the body from where she stood, but her shorter stature than the foxes meant she would not be able to see the table at all if she did. She made her way around to the far side of the table where a stool waited. Hopping onto it, she brought herself face to face with the covered body, while Marian walked up to the opposite side.

"Here's hoping she's wrong," Judy whispered out loud, her fingers resting on the cloth. Taking hold of it was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

Fear and memories flooded Judy as she stood there with the sheet clutched in one paw. Every moment from the day she met Nick in the ice cream parlor to the last time she saw him in the cell came rushing back all at once, with their most tender moments foremost among them. It brought tears to her eyes, even without seeing what lay under the cloth.

"Are you okay, Judy?" Marian asked gently, still supporting most of her weight on the cane. "I can handle this, if you want to step outside. You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat.

A year ago, Nick was unknown to her. She had been a whole mammal without him, seeking completion of her life's goals by simply putting on a badge. Ten months ago, he had become her best friend and an inseparable ally in all matters. In the last month, he had become so much more than that. The fear of finding all of that at an abrupt end was almost more than she could bear. Only pure stubbornness allowed her to raise her ears and yank the sheet back from the head of the body, easing it back to his waist.

Eyes closed, Nick lay face-up on the table. The reality of seeing him there was such a shock that Judy nearly fell off her stool, and she numbly let the sheet drop. Her paws shook uncontrollably as she stared at the reddish fur, blending to cream at his neck and chest. There was no mistake. This was her partner—her lover—lying on a slab, no longer breathing. Despite all the warning, Judy was far from ready for this.

Marian stared impassively at the corpse for several long seconds, before she emotionlessly walked away, taking a seat near the edge of the room. There, she remained, not speaking or even looking toward Judy or Nick. Judy could not imagine the devastation hiding under the surface.

Judy did not fare nearly so well as Nick's mother. She studied the corpse, her mind racing through explanations that did not involve him actually being gone. When nothing real would come as a viable alternative, she began running her claws through his fur, searching for reasons why it might be true, as if trying to convince herself she was not imagining things.

"Bruises all over his head," she mumbled, not even realizing the words were out loud. "Scratches consistent with a clawed predator being the one who was hitting him. No large wounds, and no swelling large enough to hint at internal bleeding. Some cuts inside his mouth from his teeth, consistent with being struck at least once. Still bleeding. Shouldn't be bleeding after this long."

"Judy."

Ignoring Marian, Judy continued to search the body for clues. It was all she had left. Easing the sheet farther down to examine Nick's chest, she found more swelling and bruises. "Possible hind paw marks. He was beaten extensively, though not with as much force as one might expect from rage. This wasn't an attack of passion. It was methodical. Again, nothing overtly fatal. Barely bruised under the fur. No autopsy performed."

Marian shook her head and got up. "I'll be outside, dear. Do what you need to do."

Judy barely even noticed as the vixen let herself out. She continued her detailed examination, her fingers racing over the body. Tears ran down her cheeks, despite the attempt to remain impartial. "No broken bones. Not one of the claw marks is deep enough to cause more than superficial bleeding, other than the cuts inside his muzzle." Stopping with both paws over Nick's chest, Judy stared at the body as something began to sink in. "Body is still warm. If he died last night, he shouldn't be this warm. Blood in his mouth is fairly fresh." She lifted one of Nick's paws, felt for a pulse, and then let if fall to the table with a thump. "No rigor mortis, but no pulse. It's been more than a few hours. He should have already begun to stiffen. This looks like he died five minutes ago."

Judy stopped what she was doing and stared at the body, still not quite able to convince herself. She felt detached from what she was seeing. Her boyfriend was dead on a table in front of her, and aside from the tears she had no control over, she felt nothing yet. It was bound to come, but all she felt so far was determination to prove it all a lie.

Lifting one of Nick's eyelids, Judy studied the eye which had rolled back. Nothing stood out as overtly wrong, just improperly timed. His eyes were barely even bloodshot, let alone blackening with the settling of his blood. She would have guessed him to have died within an hour at most, rather than hours prior, as claimed by Snow. Again, dying within minutes of her arrival seemed more plausible.

Judy pressed her fingers into Nick's neck fur, searching for any pulse she might have been unable to feel in his wrist, but there was nothing. Any doubt she had was rapidly fading, forcing her to accept the dark truth.

She stood a while longer, taking in the morbid visage, trying to make her mind accept it. Finally, something clicked, and Judy felt her calm shatter. The tears on her cheeks were abruptly joined by uncontrollable sobs as she pulled one of Nick's paws to her face, seeking the gentle touch he had been so good at. When that brought no comfort, she pressed her cheek to his neck and wept.

"Officer Hopps," a gentle female voice said, startling Judy. Looking around, Judy found that Snow had crept into the room without being heard. "I hate to do this, but I need to ask you to go. It's been nearly eight minutes. My supervisor is coming back."

Judy sniffled and clung to Nick's paw. "Let your supervisor come. I'd love to have words with him."

Snow came around the side of the table. "Judy, you need to leave. If it would help, I can show you the agent who attacked him, but I cannot have you here with the body. This will lead to both of us in a cell, just like he was when he died. Think about what you are asking for."

"I don't care anymore." Judy dragged her claws through Nick's fur, picking out tangles. "Put me in a cell if you have to. I'm not leaving him again."

"Officer Hopps, this isn't wise!" Snow hissed, reaching over to grab Judy's wrist. The contact reminded Judy all too much of Silvia attacking her, but this time she felt no threat. "Without him, who is watching out for his mother? Do you expect me to repeat this visitation with your own parents a week from now? What do you think staying will accomplish?"

Judy let out a sound she had never made before—something between a growl and a bark—which rocked Snow back onto her heels, staring in surprise. "You're asking me to abandon him?"

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you," Snow warned, maintaining a bit of extra distance. "Hopps, he is gone. I cannot make that any clearer. If you do not go with me now, you are letting yourself be put in the same situation that cost him his life. If not because I'm begging, do it for him. Would he want you to stay here and wind up at risk, too? Until we settle what happened here, I cannot ensure the safety of anyone in this building."

Judy spent a little longer staring at the matted fur of the fox she had fallen in love with, wondering if she could convince herself he would have wanted her to keep fighting. Ultimately, she knew it was a lie. He would have begged and pleaded for her to leave if it meant avoiding unnecessary risk, when that risk would gain her nothing. Letting hear ears and shoulders fall, she bent forward and kissed Nick's cheek.

"I'm sorry," she told the body, wiping her tears on his muzzle. "I failed you."

"We need to go!" Snow insisted. "Now!"

The fear in Snow's tone finally sank in, and Judy could not convince herself to stay. Nick was gone, and no matter how much she wanted to stay at his side, it would make no difference. Reaching up, Judy plucked a tuft of fur from Nick's neck, and slid it into the locket she wore. She needed something more than her memories to dwell on. It was not much, but it would have to do.

Stepping down from the stool, Judy numbly followed Snow out of the room and into the hallway they had entered through, with Marian right behind them. Once they were outside, Snow reached back and fitted a key into the door, locking it behind them.

"You really know how to run out the clock," Snow said, shaking her head as she panted. Judy noticed the fox tapped her radio on her belt, but thought little of it. Likely just letting her colleagues know where she was. "We should be okay. Let me take you upstairs. The supervisor will have far less objection to me letting you speak with the agent who attacked Nick."

"Lead the way," Judy said, feeling nothing. Her grip on the gold locket in her left paw bit deeply into her skin, but she could not convince herself to care.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 2.6 – For the Greater Good

 **August 13** **th** **, Saturday Early Evening – Undisclosed Location, Outer Canal District**

"Well that was exciting," Harry mumbled, as Skye came back into the observation room. "Pushing your luck a little more than usual?"

Skye clicked her tongue, and walked up to the window beside him. "Hopps is stubborn beyond belief. I was beginning to wonder if I would have to subdue her and remove her from the room. I take it you had better luck than I did?"

Harry nodded. "Cutting it close, but yes. I told you ten minutes, and no more. Milo was able to get things handled, but he insisted on telling me all the ways it could have gone wrong, complete with waving his arms about. He wanted no more than six minutes."

"I can't make that bunny do anything she doesn't want to. How close were we to the ten?"

"Ten minutes, eight seconds when we got into the room. Way over time. I think we're okay, though. It's one for the record books, if we could admit to it."

Harry stared down into the room below. From where they stood, no one in the room would be able to see them through the one-way glass, though it mattered little since the only mammal below was Nick Wilde, who was in no condition to look for anyone. The window had allowed Harry a bit of luxury in watching Hopps grieve over the body.

"Did that give you the information you needed?" he asked. "I hate forcing this much drama, but you wanted proof they were worth the effort."

"I didn't say we needed to kill either of them." Skye glared at him, clearly uneasy with the choices made. She far preferred working within the scope of their agency's rules, rather than skirting them the way he usually did. "You jumped to that conclusion without me. Having Lyra Strypes and Jaiden Tailmoore attack him was hardly the method I would have used. I only wanted to see if he was worth keeping on the project. You got carried away again, agent. I only wanted to imply he was dead."

"You said you intended to exclude them both. I needed to prove a point. To do that, she needed to see the body."

"I did." Agent Snow admitted, leaning on the lip of the glass. "I do have to admit, keeping his wits about him while being attacked was rather remarkable. How he managed to get Jaiden's keys unfastened while being beaten by two tigers is beyond me, and I was trained to do that sort of thing."

"What about Hopps?" Harry pressed, returning his attention to the room below. "I'd hate to think we did all of this, only to exclude her anyway."

"I stand by my assessment." Snow shook her head. "She is too inflexible. Your clumsy attempt at the shooting range proved that much."

"Might I remind you, I've read your file. They said the same thing about you, Skye."

"Agent Snow!" she snapped, though she did not look up. "I do not want her going. I don't intend to change my vote, even if you chide me for it."

Harry turned on the step, making the attempt to look his partner in the eyes, but she continued to stare at the room below. "Let me make myself clear. I want Hopps and you are going to get that bunny for this mission. That isn't negotiable."

"You bunnies," Agent Snow muttered, shaking her head. As rare as the occasion was, Harry could hear humor in her voice. "Do you even listen to yourself? You are a walking stereotype. 'I want Hopps.' Are you physically incapable of saying things that don't sound like you're planning on breeding?"

Sighing, Harry threw up his paws and descended the steps up to the window. "And you manipulate everything I say. Who's a stereotype of their species?"

"Arguing won't get you your way."

"Neither will stubbornly digging your paws in. I told you from the start. My plan, or I don't go. If I don't go, you aren't getting close to Rolen."

Skye finally looked up, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Do not give me orders. The bunny needs to prove herself. Crying at his deathbed isn't going to be enough. I need to be certain she can continue without him. I expect her to fall apart. Any hint of her getting ill or worse, and she's on her own. I'd rather she died of grief than put her through what we have planned."

Harry snorted. "You can call us by name, rather than species. You know that, right? How many mammals of any type crumble that easily, especially those who are as stubborn as she is? She'll be fine. She's in mourning."

"She's lost her mate. Apparently, I know your species better than you do."

"Her mate?" Harry froze, his ears shooting straight up. "They're just dating. You can't be serious. You think she's going to give up living with him gone? That borders on insulting, Skye."

"A lot of bunnies do that. Look at your father…"

"Do not!" Harry warned, getting little more than a twitch of Skye's tail as confirmation she heard the threat. "We are not going to kill off Hopps to prove a point! If she has any symptoms that she's formed that kind of bond with him, we're calling this off."

"I guess we'll see. I want you tailing her for the next three days. If she can hold up, I'll reconsider. If she goes catatonic, it's on you to decide how she ends up. What we can't do is back down this far in."

Harry rubbed at his muzzle in frustration. "You always did know how to weed out the weak, didn't you?"

"Learned the hard way," she answered, a very faint smirk creasing her muzzle. "I need to get upstairs. I'm introducing Hopps and the mother to Lyra. I'm curious how that will go. This should be the last nail in Hopps's stubbornness."

Harry sat down on a chair nearby, while Skye walked back out of the room.

 _This isn't what I signed up to be doing_ , he lamented, his large ears faintly picking up Skye's hurried steps through the narrow halls. _Killing foxes and waiting to see if bunnies will drop dead from grief. Had to be done, but wasn't what I wanted. Definitely not how Skye sold me on the ZBI. Not that either of us has been through anything less than these two._ _We went through more, but had time to cope. A year or two of emotional training, and she wants to see the ZPD officers put through it in a few days. Even if they survive, I doubt they'll still be any use to us or anyone else. Half these candidates were already broken before we got them._

Harry got back up, and covered both ears with his paws. The screams in his head kept coming back every time he was stressed, and this certainly qualified. The addition of Wilde's feral snarls to the memories he never quite forgot was not helping, either. It would probably be a few days before Harry could sleep again without thinking of Wilde on top of him, trying to tear his throat out in the ZPD gymnasium.

Not that Harry blamed the fox in the slightest. He deserved it.

Almost as an afterthought, he ran his fingers across the gashes on his arms, where Wilde had clawed him during the attack at the precinct. They had not been overly deep, but that was largely due to preparation. Harry had worn a knife vest under his shirt, with several blood packs attached outside that. He had bled profusely, but almost none of it was his own blood. Thankfully, neither Wilde nor Hopps had realized the trick in the heat of the moment. If they had, he probably would have wound up getting shot. Again.

Turning on a heel, Harry made his way up to the next floor, keeping to the passages which avoided the public areas. Nearly half the rooms in the building had one-way glass somewhere in them, allowing him to watch from the privacy of the back halls. He soon reached a window that overlooked the holding cell where their bodyguard, Lyra, was being held. The tigress paced the cell endlessly.

 _She's furious with me_ , Harry noted, studying the subtle cues from Lyra's muzzle, rigid back, and sharply-swishing tail. _Wants to know why she's locked up and Jaiden isn't. Can't say I blame her. Here's hoping Lyra doesn't take that out on Snow or Hopps. If Hopps can keep her anger in check, maybe she can convince Snow, and we can end the charades._

A moment later, the outer door of the holding area opened, and three mammals entered. Harry briefly met Skye's gaze—he wondered yet again how she could always know where he was standing—and then shifted his attention to Hopps and the elder Wilde. Neither appeared to be in any condition to confront the killer of their loved one, so Harry guessed the entire meeting would be over in a minute or two. Hopps, in particular, appeared nearly ready to collapse. Perhaps Skye was right…the fool bunny was too deeply in love with Wilde already. They were likely to lose her to her mourning, even if she did not die from it.

"What's this?" Lyra demanded, turning to face the cell door. "Agent Snow, why am I in here?"

Snow ignored the tigress, and instead directed her attention to Marian Wilde. "Our agency guard here is the one who attacked Nick. Got seriously carried away, I would say. She will be prosecuted to the fullest—"

"Let me talk to her," Hopps said softly, her head still hanging. Harry barely heard her over the amplified microphones, and the confused look from Skye let him know she did not clearly hear it.

"Did you say you want to talk?" Skye asked, motioning toward the cell bars. "Ask away."

Hopps walked up to the cell door and stopped. Her paws clenched into fists. "No. I want to talk with her, face to face. Please let me in."

The look Agent Snow gave Harry through the glass let him know she was more than a little surprised. He only wished she could see the grin he gave her in return. This was more like what he expected of Hopps after studying her. Perhaps there was some hope for her yet.

After brief hesitation, Snow pulled out her keys and unlocked the cell, motioning for Hopps to enter. The action seemed to surprise Lyra, who backed up several steps, likely out of fear of Agent Snow, rather than Hopps. Outside the cell, Missus Wilde watched them all, as though so lost in thought she was seeing none of it.

"Why?" Judy asked, marching right up to the tigress without a hint of concern. "Why did you attack him?"

Lyra's expression hardened, and she bent over Hopps, completely casting a shadow over the tiny rabbit. "You don't get to question me, bunny. If Snow wants to, that's another matter, but you can hop along and leave me—"

Hopps reached up lightning-fast, catching Lyra's whiskers in one paw. Dropping to her knee, she pulled the tigress off-balance. A brief tumble of both females left Harry trying to get a better view, unsure if Lyra had fallen on Hopps, but the bunny quickly showed herself again, climbing onto Lyra's chest with one paw still on the larger mammal's whiskers, forcing the tigress to roll flat onto her back.

"I'll ask again," Hopps said firmly, yet still in the same quiet tone. When the larger mammal glared up at her, Hopps did not even blink. She was clearly used to dealing with larger foes—possibly even wolves, given the way she stood up to Lyra. "Why did you attack him?"

 _This could get interesting_ , Harry thought, rising up on his toes to get a better view. _Lyra might sell me out. Given her own training, she should defer to leadership, which would be Skye. She's been taught to resist interrogation, so she may lash out. If this doesn't convince Skye that Hopps is capable, I have no idea what would. I do hope Skye is ready to step in if things get too ugly for Hopps._

"I… This isn't what… Someone get the bunny off me," growled Lyra, reaching to grab at Hopps. A sharp tug on her whiskers made her shriek and let her paw drop. "Okay, okay! What do you want?"

"Why?" Hopps repeated, taking a knee on Lyra's chest. "That's all I'm asking for."

Harry clasped his paws behind his back. This was the fastest he had seen one of the bodyguards break under pressure. Somehow, being bested by someone a tenth their size was more demoralizing than being beaten, tortured, or threatened by Skye or any of the larger agents. A glance at Snow let him know she was cataloguing the same information. If nothing else, this would change the training program for the ZBI drastically.

To her credit, Lyra kept silent a little longer, but glanced toward Agent Snow nervously. That slight look was more than a mistake—it was a complete failure. Lyra had given away where the orders came from, albeit indirectly. Harry had given the orders, but to Lyra, Skye was the next closest in charge. Harry could see the mistake instantly, and Hopps's ears shooting up hinted she had, as well. With luck, Hopps might not fully understand.

Hopps released Lyra's whiskers and climbed down, moving over to face Skye.

"You knew about this?" she asked, standing straight-backed and confrontational against the ZBI agent.

 _She's going to get herself killed_ , Harry thought, wincing. _Skye won't put up with this. She'll put Hopps down if she pushes this too far. Dammit. Bogo will come down here and kill us both if we deliver him a pair of dead bodies._

"I knew they disliked him," Snow lied convincingly. If there was anything Harry could give her credit for, it was her ability to deceive when needed. It was precisely why he had wanted Wilde to join them. She needed someone who would work well with her, and be able to play off her lies. Now, things were messy. "I had no idea it would go this far, but after he attacked Harry, I seem to have lost control over all of my mammals."

Harry thought that would be the end of it, when Hopps's ears sank slowly. She was broken emotionally, and giving all the signs of a defeated mammal. Perhaps he had misjudged her. Everything about her demeanor spoke of recognizing where blame lay, but having no way to confront it. This was where she would walk away, slinking back to her home to either start her life over or die of grief.

To Harry's shock, Hopps did not walk away—at least not immediately. Instead, she kicked Skye's legs out from under her, putting them at even height.

Skye tried to turn, only to have Hopps punch her across the jaw. The fox wavered, nearly falling, but then snapped back to attention, as she struggled to get onto her hind paws.

Despite Skye's greater strength and weight, Hopps had her in an arm-lock within seconds, slamming her against the bars, with Skye's muzzle trapped between two. Through the room's microphones, Harry could not pick up what Judy whispered to his partner, but a second later, Hopps released the agent, took her keys, and walked out, taking Missus Wilde with her.

Harry remained still a while, watching Agent Snow recover her composure and rub at her jaw. Once Skye was able to stand again, she helped Lyra up off the floor, and the two made their way to the far door of the room, which led back to where Harry was waiting.

 _Now things get truly interesting._ He sat down on the nearest chair, and pulled back out Hopps's personnel file. _Maybe now Skye will understand why I chose the officers I did._


	3. Chapter 3

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.1 – Moving On Without

 **August 15** **th** **, Sunday Morning – Bunnyburrow**

The entire drive to her family's farm, Judy was lost in a numb sense of detachment. They had not even made it out of the city before Fangmeyer had forcibly insisted on driving the cruiser, under the guise of letting Judy rest. She knew better. She might not have been willing to admit how distracted she was, but after hitting curbs twice just trying to leave the precinct, she was well aware how bad an idea it was to let her drive in her current condition.

A full day had passed since she had gotten news of Nick's death, and it was certainly no easier than it had been the moment she had been told. She had arrived home near midnight after spending time consoling Nick's mother, though by the end, Judy was all but convinced Marian had gone into a state of denial about what had happened.

Judy had paced the apartment all night without stop, right up until her alarm had gone off. She had not yet eaten, either, and her uniform was a wrinkled mess. She knew how it looked to the others, but there was nothing she could do about it. There were two choices: Stay home and grieve, or go to work and push through. Giving up had never been her way and she had no intention of letting this be the first time. With everyone thinking she was letting herself go, there was that much more incentive to prove them wrong. Much as she wanted to get to the bottom of why Snow and Harry had lied about so many details—and find out what their involvement had been in Nick's death—that meant thinking about Nick, and she was trying very hard not to do that. She would bottle up her anger and hatred, until it was the right time to take it out on the two agents.

"We're still a little ways out," Delgato said softly, snapping Judy's attention from the blur of trees along the road. "Do you want to talk?"

Judy looked up at the lion, her eyes wide and ears perked, feeling a little confused about the context. Somehow, despite all of her thoughts threatening to revolve around the brief time she had been with Nick, the question felt ambiguous. "Talk? We can talk if you want." Delgato's calm stare sank in through Judy's fog, and she realized what he was suggesting. "Oh…about him. No, not yet. I'm not ready. There are too many unanswered questions."

In the front seat, Fangmeyer grumbled softly, catching Judy's attention. She tried to ignore the scowl in the rear-view mirror. Clearly, they both thought she needed to voice how she was feeling. That was far from what she wanted. Maybe in time, but for the moment, she really just wanted to hide from anything more than her job.

Taking a deep breath, Delgato turned his attention out the window. When he began speaking again, Judy was not certain at first if he was talking to her or just voicing his thoughts.

"Maria wasn't my first love," he said to the window, and Judy's ears perked again. The name did not click instantly, but she realized a second later she was Delgato's mate. Judy had only heard the name in passing once or twice. "Took her almost three years to convince me to date exclusively. Like Fangmeyer—that unsentimental ass—I wanted to stay unattached. It was safer as an officer."

"I'm not unsentimental," Fangmeyer muttered, without taking his eyes off the road. "I'm practical. Big difference. Not about to put a civilian in harm's way. They didn't sign up for it."

Delgato snorted. "We all end up 'practical' eventually in this line of work. Maria wore me down. Trying to keep her at a distance was the worst mistake of my life. Didn't even start using the four-letter m-word until last year. If I'd followed my heart at the beginning, we'd have been married by now."

Judy tried to find some way to respond delicately, but the gruffness of the ZPD officers made that feel wrong. "She would still be dead. Is it worse to have lost your mate or your spouse?"

"Doesn't really change anything. It's all just titles," he answered, shrugging. "Do you feel like you lost a boyfriend you've been dating for a couple weeks, or maybe a couple months, if you count back to when we figured it out before you?"

"No." Judy sank back into her seat, unable to sit upright without support. "The time doesn't matter, and I lost someone I loved…"

"As did I. I don't care what you call it. I don't care if you try to convince yourself he was only around a little while, the point is you loved him. Friend, boyfriend, mate, spouse…does it matter? Don't try to minimize what you're going through with titles. Cherish what you had for what it was. Be honest with yourself and it makes it a lot easier."

Judy clenched her jaw and refused to let herself think too deeply on what the other officer was saying. "I understand, but it's not the same. The ZBI—"

"How many times have you heard me blame the ZBI?" the lion asked in reply, cutting her off. "They failed to tell us Rolen was coming. They lied to the city for years on behalf of the government about the whole situation. We weren't ready, because they didn't give us the chance to be. I could blame them, or I could just grieve for my loss. Hunting down every agent who knew about this won't bring Maria back. Even killing Rolen won't do it. He ordered the attack, but it was one of his cronies who killed Maria. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to us, Hopps. You're angry, and I don't blame you, but it won't bring him back. The ZBI needs to be shut down for all they've done, but I really doubt they intentionally let this happen to him. There's only one mammal you can absolutely blame, and you said yourself they're going to prosecute her. That tigress is spending the rest of her life in a prison, and I imagine Snow and Harry aren't far behind."

A single unbidden tear slipped before Judy could wipe it away. "I don't want to talk about this."

"So don't talk. Let me do the talking. Besides, how are you going to explain this to family, if you can't even talk to me about it? This is your practice round."

The simple question finally punched through the last vestige of Judy's resolve, and she broke down, flopping forward to cover her face with her paws as she began crying.

"It'll be okay," Delgato assured her, his massive paw gently resting on her back. "Give it time. Today, just work on getting through. We'll be there for you, no matter what. If you need a break, say so. I, for one, am more than happy to tell the ZBI to suck tail for a few hours while we sort things out."

Judy laughed through the tears, shaking her head into her paws. She slowed her breathing, forcing herself to stop crying long enough to lift her head and look around. The large sign indicating the entrance to Bunnyburrow was visible in the distance. "Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. There's too much happening right now for me to give in to this. Once we're done dealing with the ZBI nonsense, I'll figure out how to make them pay for everything, then find a book and a corner to hide in while reading it. Today's not that day."

Delgato finally let the topic rest, though he kept his paw on her shoulders. A half hour later, it was still reassuring, despite being large enough to squish Judy if he tried.

Judy rubbed at her face, trying to dry the last of her tears as Fangmeyer pulled the cruiser into a parking spot near the village center. Normally, she would have expected a few dozen bunnies to meet them, but with so many local patrollers reassigned to help the ZPD, there were likely too few local guards to meet the ZPD car. No one outside local security had been informed of their plan to come, so it was no huge surprise to find the grassy plaza nearly empty.

The other officers got out of the car, while Judy found her attention drawn to the far side of the field, where the yearly carrot festival was normally set up. She had intended to bring Nick this particular year's festival to officially introduce him to her extended family—many of whom did not know she was dating a fox—but the festival was not for another three weeks, when the last round of harvesting ended. In fact, the festival would have been the week before her birthday.

Turning her head slightly, Judy could see the spot where she had decided to be an officer as a child. Until this visit, the spot had held emotional significance to her, symbolizing her choice to move beyond her species and do what she wanted with her life, no matter what anyone else might think. Now, it felt more like a grave site, marking where her life choices had doomed Nick. That childish desire to change the world though service to the city was the only reason he had ever considered working for the ZPD, putting him under the ZBI's watch. Her dream was his doom.

"Hopps," Fangmeyer called out, snapping her from her thoughts. "The ZBI is already here. We need to move."

Judy forced her body into action, consciously raising her ears. She needed to concentrate to keep from looking as depressed as she felt, and that always began with one's ears. If a bunny could make herself look perky, it was far easier to believe it. Nick had once told her things were similar with foxes and their tails…

Again, Judy snapped herself out of the memories. This was going to be harder than she had expected. She hurriedly got out of the cruiser, before anything else could cross her mind and lead her back to thoughts of Nick.

No sooner had Judy's hind paws hit the packed ground before a pair of ZBI zebras came marching out from the nearest entrance to the underground district offices for Bunnyburrow, escorted by the pudgy brown bunny mayor.

Unlike Zootopia, Bunnyburrow organized around a provincial mayor, whose authority did not extend far. He could issue suggestions to the community, but if the larger farms did not support his decisions, his rulings meant little. Without police per se, Bunnyburrow was often governed more by public opinion than by law. Technically, it answered to the same small government that directed Zootopia itself, but as a province, rather than a part of the city, it tended to do whatever it wanted in most matters. The province paid taxes to ensure access to the city's resources and protection, but otherwise could have been its own country for all it mattered.

Judging by the calm expression on Mayor Padpaw's face, he had no idea why there were two suited ZBI agents flanking him, nor why the ZPD officers were pulling up. If anything, he appeared flattered by the visit, rather than startled. That told Judy volumes about how informed he had been. Given how excitable he was on a regular day, she was hardly surprised.

"Officers, welcome!" the mayor called out, bouncing a little as he ran over to greet them. He mostly ignored the tiger and lion, steering straight toward Judy and ignoring the others with her, as she had expected. The bunnies of the burrow were not exactly the most welcoming species, especially when it came to larger or predatory mammals. "This _is_ an eventful morning. I was just greeting these folks from the ZBI, when I saw your car in the distance. I don't believe we've had a chance to meet, Officer Hopps. I can't possibly say how exciting this is to finally say hello!"

Judy looked past the mayor at the suited zebras. Both glowered at her, clearly unhappy at the ZPD's arrival. Given the subject matter they were there to present, she guessed they wanted to get it done with quickly, before anyone could truly object. The ZPD would be seen as meddling—which was not entirely wrong. She had no intention of letting the mayor hand over all of Bunnyburrow without thinking it through carefully. This was her home, after all. The emptiness of her apartment only reinforced her desire to defend the only home left to her.

"Good to meet you too, mayor," Judy told him, clasping his offered paw. She had to struggle to give an optimistic smile, especially with the ZBI agents staring at her, while Fangmeyer and Delgato flanked her protectively. "We just wanted to be here to help out in any way we could during the ZBI's proposed changes. We figured the region could use all the help it could get."

A loud huff from one of the zebras gave Judy all the confirmation she needed that they had yet to explain the reason for their visit.

"I heard about what happened up north in Podunk," the mayor all but whispered, shaking his head. "Sad times, these. Figured this all had something to do with that. I hadn't actually had much chance to talk with the…very, very, tall…agents. They were starting to explain all the ZBI is doing to help secure and stabilize Podunk during these chaotic times. They were also talking about some crazy bear from the south. So glad we don't have to worry about such things here."

Judy tightened her grip on the mayor's paw, and his smile slowly faded. His gaze drifted over her matted fur, to her wrinkled uniform, and finally to her face. He might not know her well enough to pick up on exactly what had happened, but bunnies were an emotional species and knew how to recognize muted emotions in one another. His smile rapidly faded.

"Are we in danger?" he asked, without releasing her paw. "Why is everyone here?"

"We don't know," Judy answered honestly. The zebras were trying to get her attention, but she pointedly ignored them. The other ZPD officers could deal with the ZBI if things got out of paw. "We want to ensure nothing like that happens here. I believe the ZBI had some plan for this?"

When Judy finally lifted her attention to the zebras, they were glaring at her, and one stomped her hoof. Judy had fully intended to spoil their surprise somewhat to ensure there was a chance for the region to think it through, but she had not expected she would have such a perfect opportunity to do so.

"We do," grumbled the male zebra, stepping forward with a crunch of hooves on dry ground. "Mayor, we need to discuss how best to protect Bunnyburrow. This really should be a higher priority than gossiping with the ZPD."

Padpaw looked up at the zebra, his nose twitching as he released Judy's paw. "You're sending back our security guards, right? With greater patrols, we can probably watch for threats and report those—"

"We're not talking about reporting," snapped the female zebra, without taking her angry stare off of Judy. "We are talking about truly securing the region. Zootopia will provide proper troops for protecting the burrow."

The mayor's ears dropped sharply. "We don't allow soldiers in the burrow. Cheese and crackers, we don't even let the ZPD have jurisdiction here."

"This isn't open for debate," warned the male zebra agent. "Perhaps we should go back to your office. Just the three of us. The officers can go somewhere else."

Padpaw straightened up, trying to look larger than he was. "Absolutely not. I'll not have troops in Bunnyburrow. The ten farm families would hang me by my ears if I did approve that. If you think just because you're bigger than me, you can bully me into this, you have another thing coming. We talk to all the families, or you can just leave right now."

Judy glanced over her shoulder at Delgato and Fangmeyer. The two officers stepped forward to stand at the mayor's sides. The bunny stopped and looked up at them, clearly unsure what to make of their involvement.

"Mayor," Judy told him, motioning toward her fellows. "Let me introduce Markus Fangmeyer and Stan Delgato. We are assisting the ZBI resolve these matters without causing undue hardship on communities. I believe they would be happy to help you present a counter-proposal to the ZBI."

That seemed to set far better with the mayor, with two larger mammals of his own to bolster his argument. Moreover, if Judy was reading him right, having predators on his side when arguing with the ZBI was an added perk. The mayor's nervous reservations slowly shifted to gloating smirk, aimed at the ZBI agents.

"I have some other business in the burrow," Judy told the mayor, though he did not seem to be paying attention anymore. Thankfully, Delgato looked to her and nodded, acknowledging what she was saying. "I'll be back later today, or my partners can call me. I have family to check in on."

"Say hello to your sister, Jane," the mayor noted, without looking away from the zebras.

Judy mentally filed away that information. Jane was a few years Judy's senior and closer to the mayor's age, and one of only a few siblings out of their teens who were still truly single. Given the way things worked in the burrow, it was not a hard leap to guess the two were dating, or something similar. Still, it was a matter for another time, when Judy was able to tease without collapsing into an emotional heap.

Excusing herself, Judy began the trek from the heart of "town"—after her time in the city, the town felt more like a collection of tiny shops and a central spot for the yearly festival than anything else—toward her family's farm and personal burrow. It was no short walk, but it was a pleasant one, even with the cooler fall weather. More importantly, it gave her a chance to be alone with her thoughts, which was something she sorely needed.

The first few fields Judy passed through were those of the larger families, but she soon reached the outermost fields of the Hopps clan. Each rolling hill held its own memories of her childhood, usually running about and playing cops and robbers with her brothers and sisters, though she could not recall a single time she did _not_ play a cop. When she reached the cabbage fields, she came to an abrupt stop. This place held entirely different memories.

It took Judy a few minutes to study the field in the daylight and pinpoint where she and Nick had collapsed during his visit two months prior. There, he had doted on her while she babbled drunkenly, giving her the first real clue he was interested in her as more than a police partner. The exact spot they had sat while he rubbed her paws was not too far away to walk toward, but Judy could not make herself go that way. Simply recognizing the spot was almost too much for her. The lewd dreams she had about Nick for several night after that tender moment now felt like a weight on her heart.

 _He came here for a funeral_ , she reminded herself, sighing at the irony. _One visit, he's here to support my family after losing gramps. The next visit, I'm back after losing him._

Judy knelt in an open section of the already-harvested field, scooping the dry dirt up with her left paw. She let that run through her fingertips, eyeing the dark soil. When a bunny died, they did not bury their dead like some species did. They cremated the remains, as so many bunny corpses would have taken over the burrow in no time otherwise. Her grandfather was part of the field now. He was one with what he had always known and loved.

 _What will they do with Nick?_ she asked herself, wincing. Holding back tears was getting more and more difficult, but these were things she had to face down. _I don't even know how foxes deal with their dead. Will he be here in the field, or somewhere in the city? He said they do funerals, but never really explained. With the ZBI involved, will we even get a funeral? I should have asked Snow more questions. If not for myself, I should have done it for Marian. I shouldn't have left Marian's side. She must be a wreck._

Shaking off the sense of dread settling over her, Judy brushed her paws on her uniform and hurried along toward the burrow. Within a few more minutes, the entrance came into sight, and she raced through ideas of what she would tell her parents about her visit. First, she would surprise them, which gave her extra time to decide…

The front door of the burrow opened, and both Stu and Bonnie ran out to meet Judy. Apparently, the mayor had called them.

"Mom, Dad!" she exclaimed, stopping twenty steps from the door. Her whole body ached with the effort of smiling, but she pushed herself to present well, lest they guess immediately at what had happened. That was a discussion for later. "The ZPD asked us to help the mayor, and I was thinking…you know…I could just stop by."

Both of her parents slowed as they neared her, attention drifting over her uniform the same way they had when she had left her meter maid jacket on the first day on the force.

"Bon Bon," Stu whispered, turning to Judy's mother. "Am I imagining or…?"

Bonnie ignored her husband, instead offering her open arms to Judy, who still could not convince herself to move. "What happened, Judy? Where's Nick? The mayor said your ears were droopy, and he wasn't even telling us half the story."

Judy held her ground for another few furious heartbeats, before her resolve broke. She could not fathom why she ever thought she could hide anything from her parents. Any attempt at deception fell apart and she ran into her mother's arms, weeping uncontrollably the moment her muzzle was safe on her mother's shoulder.

"Mom, he's…he's gone!" she whimpered, trying to stem the tide of tears without success. Soon, she was gasping for air as she cried. "He made a mistake protecting me and… He died alone, mom. I don't know what happened. Not really. I…I don't know… I'm not sure what to do."

Stu came up beside them, enveloping both mother and daughter in his arms. "Come inside, Jude. We're good at listening. I've already got a nice mint tea steeping."

Judy nodded into her mother's shoulder. She only barely felt herself led into the burrow, and by the time she had her tears under control enough to see again, she was seated at the kitchen table. A half dozen of her nieces and nephews ran past under her stool, while Stu and Bonnie waited across the table for her to begin. They slid a warm cup of tea into her paws as soon as she looked up.

 _Okay, just stick to the basics_ , Judy ordered herself, sipping at the tea to buy time. _Tell them as little as possible. They don't need to know more than that._

As soon as Judy opened her mouth, every stray thought poured out like a wave. She confessed how she felt she had failed Nick by not being there. She admitted to the conflicting reports at the ZPD triggering the incident in the first place, and how she felt guilty for not having told him sooner and preventing it all from happening. Last, she admitted her remorse at not having put a bullet in Harry when she had the chance, knowing it would have allowed her to take Nick's place.

"…and now I can't even make myself…I can't get out of bed without someone telling me to," she said, wishing she could make herself shut up. "I've never felt this way, even when we lost family. I don't know how to go on like this. It's not as bad as Molly had it, but I'm not doing well. There's just too much that doesn't add up, and it makes me question everything. I'm angry and I'm sad, and the two feelings are fighting every waking moment."

"Day by day is how you go on," Bonnie said, reaching across the table to clasp Judy's paw in hers. "We've gotten plenty of your siblings through this sort of thing. Come home, Judy. The mammals in the city won't understand. They might understand grieving, but they aren't bunnies. Every species is a little different. They won't know what to say or do if…you know. If you don't snap out of it."

"Stop!" Judy pleaded, though she was not mad at anyone in the burrow. Around her, a half dozen baby bunnies slid to a halt near her stool. "Everyone is so worried about whether he's my life mate or not. I don't know. I'm not laying down to die, if that's the concern. Please don't bring that up. I've already heard it too many times from mammals I work with who have no idea how that even works. I don't need to hear it from my family. I'm grieving. It's not the same."

Bonnie and Stu exchanged worried glances, and it was Stu who turned back to Judy first. "What are you going to do, Jude?"

Judy let her arms fall to her sides, and it took all her strength to keep from slamming her forehead on the table. Having the steaming cup directly in front of her helped with that. "I don't know. Right now, just find a way to get up and go to work every day. Once this case is done…" She reached up and tugged at her ZPD badge, without really thinking about why. "…maybe I'll pick a fight with the ZBI in the courts, and probably wind up transferred to desk duty. It's what you two always wanted."

"But it's not what _you_ want," Bonnie corrected sharply.

"It's what will keep anyone else I love from getting hurt," Judy said, shrugging. "We'll see how I'm doing in a week or two. If it doesn't get easier, I can't put other officers' lives in danger because of my distractions. If it does, we have nothing to worry about. I'll get better, and eventually move on."

"And if you don't?" Stu asked, wringing his paws nervously. Judy did not have to even look directly at him to read exactly what he was worried about.

"Then I'll end up like uncle Pipkin, cousin Strawberry, and aunt Celandine. It's not exactly rare enough that we can pretend it never happens." Judy sipped at the tea again, giving her a brief moment to think before she had to face the nervous stares of her parents. Even with the tears stopped for the moment, she had to keep wiping at her nose. "We were only together a month. I'm just upset. Stop staring at me like I'm going to fall off the stool clutching my chest, or I'm going to have anxiety issues, Mom. I might not want to date anytime soon, but I'm not giving up."

"You've been in love with him a lot longer than a month, Judy, whether we had any idea how to accept it or not," her mother said, causing both Judy and her father to look up in surprise. "I'm not stupid. Ever since that Gazelle concert, you've been batting your eyes every time he's mentioned. Besides, there're plenty of bunnies who've fallen hard after only a month or two. Your second cousin Marty, for example. Don't try to dismiss this and expect us to believe you."

"I don't want to talk about that," Judy answered, shielding much of her face with her ears and lifting the mug of tea to hide more.

"When is the…uh…funeral?" Stu asked, sounding nervous to even bring it up.

"I don't know." Judy would not meet their eyes. She could feel the dismay at not having the details, and she certainly felt it herself. Slowly, she set the cup back down. "I'm hoping his mother knows. I really didn't think to ask. All I could… His body was there…and…"

"Judy, honey bun," her mother said, getting up and coming around the table to put an arm around her. Meanwhile, Stu got up and headed to the far side of the kitchen, where the main household phone hung. "We'll help how we can. What do you need from us right now? A hug, some distance, a shoulder to cry on? I don't think you've ever been through anything quite like this, and we don't know what you respond best to. It's not like Jenna with her weekly breakups."

Judy shrugged, lowering her face a little so that the steam from her tea washed over her nose. She could hear her father out in the hall, already talking to Marian Wilde. They were wasting no time. "I don't know, Mom. How would you have felt if your first real boyfriend died horribly?"

"He did, Judy. He did."

Her own grief lost for a moment, Judy stared up at her mother. "Excuse me?"

"Phil Thumper. Tractor rolled over on him when he was goofing off after high school. It's not something I volunteer, but I don't mind telling you now. Your father knows, so it isn't exactly a secret, but it is something I prefer to forget."

The complete lack of emotion in Bonnie's voice shocked Judy far more than the fact that she had lost someone like that. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely." Bonnie gave Judy a squishy hug before continuing. "Second boyfriend ran off with some scruffy doe from the other side of town, and I heard they passed away last year. Didn't ask many questions on that one. My guess is a burrow collapse."

"How…how are you this calm about mammals you know dying, Mom?"

"Calm? Oh heavens no. I've accepted it. Not the same thing at all, Judy. Think about it. How many bunnies have you known who passed in your lifetime?"

"Thirty, maybe forty?"

"I'm a lot older than you, honey. When you know families with over a thousand living members, you're bound to see a lot of death. That applies double when you've seen families that large come and go. It doesn't make it any easier. It just means you have to accept it as part of life. That's certainly not the same as losing someone as close as Nick was. That takes a lot more time. It was years before I got over Phil's death, even once the feelings for him faded. There's no secret for making this easier on you. Time, a strong drink, and maybe a few nights with your sisters watching movies will ease things, but they won't fix it."

Judy returned her mother's insistent hugging, thankful for someone who might understand what she was going through. More importantly, Bonnie likely had heard all the same concerns from friends and family who half-expected her to die on the spot. The mere fact that some bunnies _could_ die from losing a loved one meant everyone expected the worst. Having someone she could talk to was huge. Having someone who understood what the true risks were was even more important.

"Got through to Marian," her father announced as he came back into the kitchen, looking entirely unsurprised by Judy and her mother clinging. "She's been talking to the ZBI on and off all morning. They won't release the body, but they are willing to work around everyone's schedule for the funeral. I didn't get all the details on what that means with foxes, mind you. All I know for certain is that they're having the funeral tomorrow afternoon in the city. I've already called the ZPD, and Judy's been cleared to stay here until then on paid leave. We'll go back to the city together in the morning."

Still clinging to her mother, Judy could not bring herself to object. For once, hiding from responsibility sounded ideal.

"I'll have your old room ready for you in no time," Bonnie whispered near Judy's ear. "We'll take care of everything. I don't want you worrying about anything more than getting through each day."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.2 – Moving On Without

 **August 15** **th** **, Sunday Evening – Bunnyburrow, Hopps Residence**

The clocks let Judy know the sun was already setting, but the hours since she had arrived were a muddled blur. She could remember talking to dozens of her siblings, though each conversation was too distant already to pick out of her memories. The only break she had gotten from the endless sympathies was when she had excused herself to call Delgato and explain things to him. He had been unreasonably supportive, giving Judy only a few minutes break from her relatives. From what little he was willing to share, the ZBI had managed to still negotiate for the annexation of the burrow with the ten families, under the argument that Rolen's upcoming attacks might well target them. A mutual agreement had been made where the ZPD and military would provide additional protection for Bunnyburrow, and there was an additional arrangement the ZBI had conceded that exempted the burrows from taxes for a decade. No one was perfectly happy with the deal, but neither side had truly lost out.

With the ZPD's task being handled without her, and her siblings finally no longer beating down her door—largely due to Judy having closed the door to her room and stuffed a blanket under it to hide her lights—she found herself alone and somewhat lost as to what to do.

Judy was not one to be without a routine, and even with the abrupt change in things, she believed setting forth a plan was probably the best thing for her. She knew what she would be doing at home—her apartment, not the burrow—on a normal night, so she set to doing as much of that as she could manage, even if she did have to stop to cling to her locket or tug at her ears every few minutes to calm herself.

Preparing dinner, already being handled by her parents. Cleaning the apartment, she spent a half hour picking over the arrangement of her old bedroom, but there was so little there that the effort felt wasted, aside from the painful need to slide the spare mattress under her bed, which Nick had been meant to use on his last visit—though it had been relatively unused. Reading a sappy novel, not even something she was ready to consider doing. That left nothing but going to bed on her list.

Within minutes, Judy was in an old nightshirt and shorts, pacing around her room with a bite-stick in her mouth in a vain effort to sooth her nerves. It was far too early to sleep—not that she expected to be able to—and dinner was still coming. She had no interest in sitting around one of the tables with her extended family, but she would have to at least make an appearance, though showing up in nightclothes often allowed one to sneak out that much earlier. Going at all meant far too many questions, though she hoped she could manage to escape after little more than a courtesy visit.

Judy stood in the middle of her room, nibbling absently on the bite-stick as she stared at the pile of stuffed animals in one corner. There were so few things to organize that the assorted rabbit plushes had been moved around more than she cared to admit to herself.

A knock at the door startled Judy from staring at the toys, and she very nearly dropped the bite-stick on the floor.

"Who is it?" she asked, then quickly tossed the stick onto her dresser when she realized she sounded like she had marbles in her mouth. "Come in."

The door opened only a few inches at first, as five muzzles poked in, noses twitching as the does behind them tried to get a look at Judy. This was also nothing new. Her sisters and cousins had been fairly blunt about their worries they would find her crying in a corner. It was not unreasonable, but Judy was far too stubborn to let them find her that way, even if she had to leap to her paws every time someone knocked.

"Judy, we just heard what happened," Arlene Hopps said, shoving past the others to come into the room. Arlene had always been a bit forward about almost any family matter, and for once Judy appreciated not having someone tiptoe around her. "What can we do to help?"

Judy shook her head, and sat down on the edge of her bed. She felt exhausted from the endless stream of relatives checking up on her. "I don't know. This isn't something anyone can really fix."

Arlene waved a few more of the bunnies into the room, and they crowded around Judy, studying her in much the same way she had been looking at her stuffed animals earlier. With paws on her hips, Arlene finally declared, "Bunny bootie call. I know a buck from two warrens over. You should see the tail on—"

"Absolutely not!" Judy snapped, a bit harsher than she intended.

Smirking, Arlene shrugged. "Fine. Does' movie night. Judy, you don't have to do anything other than drag your tail to the third floor television in half an hour. We'll take care of everything. We'll even bring dinner down. Everything tonight is about you. Talk about Nick if you want, but you don't have to."

Judy stared at her sister, blinking slowly in confusion. "I appreciate it, but—"

"Good!" Arlene exclaimed, grinning broadly. "See you there. Does, let's get changed. I want everyone in pajamas. I want enough popcorn to bury every bunny on the floor. Carrie, run distraction for the bucks on the floor, so they don't bother us. Mary, you head to the west hall and…"

Judy tuned out the ongoing discussion as the does hurried out of her room, leaving her alone again. She fidgeted with her hind paws briefly, but soon the weight of having stopped moving was too much. Falling sideways, she slumped onto her pillow, pulling her knees up under her chin. Even a day with the family was going to be difficult, though far better than being left alone in Nick's old apartment. Within seconds, she was back to fighting tears, and sniffling to keep her nose from stuffing up too badly.

A faint knock barely registered even with Judy's hearing, and when one of her littlest sisters—Chloe—slid in to the room, Judy had to frantically attempt to wipe at her face to hide her crying. She sat up quickly, keeping one paw near her muzzle to brush away any tears still on her fur.

"Momma told me you lost your boyfriend," Chloe said softly, inching into the room, her huge blue eyes filled with concern.

Judy nodded and offered a half-hearted smile to the six year old. "Yeah. I'll be okay, though."

Scampering across the room, Chloe bounced up beside Judy on the bed. Ears flat back, she tilted and turned her head, studying Judy in great detail. "Did you love him?"

The pained laugh at a child's question felt wrong, but it was all Judy could manage for a moment. "Yes. I really did. He was a big dummy, but I loved him anyway."

Chloe blinked hard a few times, her muzzle furrowed as she thought through something. "How many kits did you have?"

"None," Judy answered, the misery and dread falling away in the innocent questioning. Deep down, she felt a morbid relief that this topic of conversation was all but pre-empted from occurring dozens if not hundreds of times, had Nick lived. In her family, being involved with someone of the opposite gender all but ensured years of questions about upcoming children. Interspecies relationships were not something the Hopps's were equipped to deal with. "We couldn't have kits."

That seemed to shock Chloe more than the idea of Nick's death. "None?!"

"No, none." Judy smiled and pulled her sister into a big hug. "You really should go play, before it gets any later. It's close to your bedtime."

"Nah!" Chloe objected, grabbing Judy's paw. "Arlene wanted me to make sure you showed up. I'm supposed to take you, if you weren't already going. You almost ready? Arlene gave me permission to pinch you if you refused."

"Oh, I suppose I am." Judy climbed off the bed, and Chloe jumped down beside her. Almost as an afterthought, Judy went to the pile of stuffed bunnies in the corner of the room, and gave one to her sister. "Take care of her for me?"

Chloe nodded vigorously, wrapping the stuffed animal in a tight hug. Once she had a solid grip on the toy, she took Judy's paw again and pulled her, leading her out of the room and through the halls of the burrow. Twice along the way, Judy's brothers showed up to ask questions or offer condolences, but Chloe fussed at each group, leading Judy right past. Somehow, the kit was far better at dealing with the family than Judy ever had been.

They soon reached the third floor's television room, which served as a sort of communal family entertainment location for the fifty or so bunnies near that end of the wing. The dirt-packed walls were normally filled with board games, small tables for the kits, and a variety of other things, but Arlene had been terribly efficient—or had begun setting things up before coming to see Judy. The tables were slid away, leaving just the four couches and one large television, with a dozen pillows set up for those who would rather sit on the floor. Everything else was out of the way, allowing them to cram more bunnies into the room.

As soon as Judy stepped past the door, she froze, staring at nearly thirty does in pajamas, night shirts, and assorted other partial-dress. Bowls of popcorn were everywhere, and she picked up the scent of strong alcohol somewhere nearby. She had rarely, if ever, spent extensive time with more than a handful of her siblings, and the idea of thirty sisters and cousins waiting to offer a sympathetic shoulder was far more frightening than it was consoling.

"Sit down!" Arlene called out, getting to her paws so she was visible in the crowd. "We have a spot for you on the couch. Right here!"

Judy hesitated, but Chloe kept tugging at her paw until she moved. Tiptoeing through the other bunnies, she made her way to the central couch, where the does had left a place for her, complete with a few blankets and a small pillow—just the right size for hugging. No sooner had she sat down, than a glass of dandelion wine was forcibly placed in her left paw.

"Chloe, thank you for bringing her, darling," Arlene told the youngest bunny in the room. "You should get to bed before mom catches you."

Bouncing up and down excitedly with the stuffed animal in her arms, Chloe grinned like a fool. Turning to Judy, she gave her a kiss on the cheek, then ran from the room, closing the door behind her.

To Judy's memory, she had never seen the entertainment rooms closed off on any floor of the burrow. That struck her as odd, especially when one of her sisters began encouraging her to drink. Politely, Judy sipped at her wine, though she had no real desire to put much of a dent in the large glass's contents, especially without having eaten first.

As the television came on, all attention turned to Judy, making her wonder what the point of the movie was, if no one was intending to watch it. Instead, all thirty bunnies began asking questions which put her on-guard, making her feel trapped and surrounded—which she was.

"Tell us your favorite memory of him," Lisa insisted, talking over a dozen others. "Most of us never got to meet him."

Judy curled up a little smaller on the couch, nursing the wine. "I don't know if I want to talk about this. I thought you said I didn't have to talk about him."

Suddenly, the wine was snatched from her paw, and Jackie Hopps put a shot of something smelling of blackberries in its place. Given the sense of being overwhelmed, the stronger alcohol was somewhat of a relief, and Judy quickly downed it. To her surprise, the shot was replaced before she had managed to catch her breath from the sting.

Judy shivered, trying to keep her senses about her. The alcohol was stronger than she had expected—not that she had a high tolerance—and she felt warmth spread to her ear tips, tail, and toes. She would have to pace herself or she would be a sobbing mess in no time. Given what she had heard about Jackie and Arlene's parties when they were younger, they probably did intend for her to be a wreck shortly as a way to begin recovery.

"He was… What did you just turn on?" Judy asked, realizing the movie had fairly explicit bunny sex all over the screen. The closing of the doors to the room suddenly made sense, though if their parents came by, things would get ugly. Nervously, Judy curled a little tighter to the pillow, with the fresh drink near her nose. "Is that…porn?"

"If you have to ask, you haven't watched enough," Jackie answered, shaking her head sadly.

"It's just a romance movie, Judy. What kind of prude are you?" another sibling replied, though Judy was having trouble figuring out which had spoken. That was made more difficult by the fact that she had just finished the second shot without realizing she even meant to.

"I'm…I'm not a prude," Judy insisted, though her voice sounded small, even in a room of bunnies. Her ears felt dangerously hot as they shot up when she let her attention drift back to the television. Every inch of skin blushed under her fur when she realized exactly what the bunnies on the screen were doing. It took her a few extra seconds to trace angles with her head cocked to figure out whose leg was whose. "I just…I've never…wow…that's really…ew. That looks somewhere uncomfortable and awkward. Romance movie? Is that what we're calling it?"

A dozen of the does laughed, and someone turned down the volume on the movie.

"You really don't get out enough," Lisa told her, putting a fresh shot glass in Judy's paw. This one held something that might or might not have begun its existence as a potato—or ended its existence as jet fuel. "Was he as big of a prude?"

"I'm really not a prude," Judy mumbled, feeling as though she were about half her age. She sounded like a child, but the alcohol was hitting her too hard to really do anything about it. "No. He is…was…a romantic. He just hated anyone knowing that. We weren't prudes, but we didn't watch porn. Or…he did sometimes, but I just hadn't gotten into it yet. We talked about watching it together, but we hadn't yet."

"Why not?" asked someone, but Judy did not manage to figure out who, before a better request came along.

"Tell us about your first date," another sister chimed in. "Unless you were both such prudes that it'll scandalize the family."

Judy giggled a little, surprising herself. A year earlier, the idea that prudish behavior would be scandalous would have been perfectly normal. Now, after spending time around more species than she had growing up, she recognized that many other species viewed being a prude as the way to avoid being scandalous. Bunnies really were a little different from everyone else.

"We were all but dating before we realized it," she blurted out, no longer able to keep her thoughts separated from her outside voice. "Curled up, watching movies a few times a week. Nothing too serious at first."

"These kinds of movies?" asked someone, and Judy looked away swiftly, blushing, when she saw far more of a bunny's rump on the screen than she cared to.

"No. Dumb action movies." Judy found herself having to look her sisters in the eyes to keep from seeing far more on the television than she had ever really wanted to see, even with a lover. "They were all terrible. A few interspecies romance movies that were just as bad. Actual romance, not sex."

"Real subtle, that one," Arlene said, smirking. "Guessing those movies were his idea?"

Two of the does across the room sat up sharply, with one acting as the spokesperson. "What's subtle about that? Wasn't he a bunny?"

The room went abruptly quiet.

"No, no he wasn't," Judy admitted, then downed her latest drink. "Fox. Nick was a fox. Red fox. And, now that you mention it, he was the one who suggested the romance movies."

The does split pretty evenly between those who gave Judy a coy and knowing smile, and those who looked almost embarrassed. Some of the younger does began looking up something on their phones—Judy was determined not to find out what, and hoped never to learn.

"How does that…um…fit…uh…I mean…was that nice?" asked Phillis after a minute, breaking the silence, giving a nervous grin.

"What do you mean?"

"How did you…you know…uh… Carla, help me here."

Judy stared at Phillis and Carla, wondering what they were up to as Carla climbed onto a stepstool, while Phillis stood up straight alongside her.

"Okay, so I'm a bunny," Phillis explained. Lifting one paw, she held it a few inches over her own head. "That would be a big buck or an average hare."

"Phrasing," whispered several of the other does, but no one really acknowledged them.

"Carla here," Phillis motioned toward her sister on the stool, "is a fox. She's what…a head taller?"

"More," Judy said without thinking. "Head and a half, or more, maybe. He slouched a lot."

Phillis waved Carla down off the stool. "Okay. So if he's a third again as tall as you are, does that mean…everything…is a third again the size?"

Judy's whole body went cold, and she slammed back the latest round of alcohol to attempt to get warmth back into her. "Sweet cheese and crackers. I hate you all. A third again is being conservative—"

Bawdy laughter filled the room, and all Judy could do was bury her face in the pillow. They were helping ease the pain, but replacing it with so much embarrassment she could barely breathe.

In the city, another mammal asking the kind of questions that surrounded her for the next hour or two would have been unthinkable. Most species were adamant that death be a solemn affair. Bunnies were not the same. Death was mourned, but the life that led up to it tended to be celebrated with far too much silliness, and often, drunkenness. Judy had little doubt that her coworkers would have been mortified by the idea of discussing her brief sex life with her sisters a day after finding out Nick was dead, but within the burrow, it was a good thing. The family was, for once, treating her as an equal. They wanted to see her happy again, and that meant pushing through the pain by seeing the best of what their time together had given her.

Eventually, Judy either fell asleep or blacked out from the alcohol. When she woke, she had been tucked into her bed, and lay in the darkness one could only find in an underground burrow with the lights off. She lay there a long time, waiting for the painful buzzing in her skull to fade a little. She eventually felt as though she might be able to move, and looked around the room for some idea of how long she had been out.

Judy rolled onto her side, searching for her alarm clock, though she realized quickly it was still in the city alongside the bed she had shared with Nick. Instead, she set about hunting for the police duty belt she had cast aside when changing into her nightshirt. She fumbled around the floor, her fingers finding her pants, her knife vest, and finally the belt. From one of the pouches, she drew her cell phone and readied herself for the bright screen.

"Seven," she mumbled, covering the screen again. "Plenty of time to catch the train back. Oh my fuzzy lord, what did they get me to drink?"

Judy groaned and covered her face with her pillow, wishing she would just die. Her sisters were not exactly connoisseurs of fine liquors, and the shots had done far more damage than any night out drinking in the city. Still, she had to get moving soon, or she would miss the daily train into the city.

With a pained grunt, Judy forced herself to sit up, letting her paw with her cell phone drop into her lap. She sat there a little longer, trying to find the strength to stand on her own. As she steadied herself, the phone buzzed—which was still loud enough to make her head throb.

Judy lifted the phone and saw four alerts waiting. The first was from Fangmeyer, letting her know the two of them had gone back to the city and would pick her up in the morning from the train station. Another was from Bogo, confirming he was not expecting her in on Monday after speaking with her father. The next two were from names she did not recognize, and so Judy clicked onto them, trying to figure out at least what application on the phone was alerting her.

 _Evan Longpaw is waiting for your reply on Zinder._

 _Darren Buckson is waiting for your reply on Zinder._

Judy stared at the alerts, trying to make sense of them, especially as both had portraits of relatively-handsome male bunnies attached. She had heard of Zinder—mostly in jokes at the precinct and from Finnick—but she certainly had never even considered touching the app, as "hooking up" was hardly her way of life, especially in a committed relationship. There would be no reason she would have gotten alerts…

Eyes snapping wide open and ears straight up, Judy tapped through the apps list on her phone and found Zinder. A quick check showed it had been installed the night before, sometime late. Given that she had no memory of installing it, she was willing to bet Arlene or one of her other sisters had something to do with it. Sure enough, she found her own profile on the app, with dozens of inaccuracies and a picture taken while she was drunk.

"Gonna kill sooo many bunnies," she mumbled, nearly breaking her phone in an iron grip. "If I have to explain why I'm not dating to a bunch of bucks, I'll figure out which doe did this and flick her ears until she's in tears. Bad enough trying to set me up, but setting me up through a service like that right before the funeral… Clearly someone doesn't understand me at all."

Judy closed the first alert from Evan with hardly a glance, but hesitated with her thumb over the second. The buck was definitely handsome, and reminded her a little of someone else she had dated in high school. Darren would have easily caught her eye when she had been younger.

Shaking her head and muttering, Judy slid the phone back into her belt. She briefly considered stripping and changing into her uniform, but given how bad she had looked the day before, a night of heavy drinking with her sisters could not have improved matters, especially given that she could not remember eating anything. It took little more than a sniff at her paw fur to realize she reeked of mediocre alcohol. Combining that with her sloppy uniform was just asking to be dismissed from the force. Add in the list of things she intended to do to the ZBI, and it was all but certain.

Judy sighed and crawled off her bed, making her way into the hall, and on toward the bathroom. A quick shower and some time under the fur driers would make a world of difference both in how she looked and felt.

With eyes half-shut, arms and ears hanging limply, and a far heavier stride than normal, Judy stumbled into the bathroom. She managed to get all the way to the shower, where she cast off her shirt and underwear, before she heard the giggling of several of her sisters already in the bathroom.

"Oh, Judy! You're awake!" Jackie called out, and Judy heard wet paws on the tile floor behind her.

Hoping her sisters would cut her some slack if she pretended to ignore them, Judy slipped into the shower. The hot water was instantly soothing, especially on her still-tender hind paw. For a moment, she thought her sisters had given up chasing her. To her dismay, the shower curtain snapped open and three of her sisters stood around the entrance, staring at her with no hint they saw a problem with harassing her when she was naked—though they were similarly undressed.

"Judy," began Arlene, leaning on the left side of the shower's entrance, looking as though she were having a polite dinner conversation. "I want you to know we all support you in whatever you decide. After what Jackie said—"

Judy made a vain attempt to cover herself, but without a towel inside the shower, there was only so much she could do. She resorted to trying to keep her ears low over her chest and both paws over her groin. "Arlene! A little space, please?"

Arlene cocked her head in confusion. "You don't remember what Jackie said, do you? I even brought her here to apologize."

Judy looked frantically between her Arlene and Jackie, while Cara stood between them, smiling as though as clueless as Judy. She waited, even as the water finally soaked through her fur, leaving her feeling even more naked, if that were possible. "No, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm trying to shower."

"Pshh," Arlene said, smiling. "We've all seen it a million times, Jude. Anyway, since you don't remember, Jackie got a little tipsy—"

"Totally did," Jackie admitted, nodding vigorously. "When she says a little, she means I probably should have had my stomach pumped."

"—and made some speciesist remarks about you being a predophile—"

Jackie's ears and nose reddened slightly, but this time she kept quiet.

"—which was absolutely inappropriate. We may all have crossed a line when we asked if he used to like biting you or other rough play, but Jackie admitted she was in the wrong in even starting that line of conversation."

Judy groaned and leaned against the side of the shower. She dearly hoped she was living a nightmare, but no matter how many times she bit her lip, she did not wake up. "It's okay. I know not all of you are used to the idea that your sister is…was…dating a predator." Judy waited, still trying to cover herself, but her sisters kept staring at her. "What?"

This time, Jackie spoke up. "We were wondering if you responded to the bucks on Zinder."

Growling, Judy reached out—no longer caring about covering up—and pulled the curtain closed in the faces of her sisters. Thankfully, they did not reopen the curtain, and after a minute, Judy could hear them whispering as they walked back out of the bathroom.

 _None of their business what I do to try and recover_ , she thought, rubbing odor-neutralizing shampoo into her fur. With luck, between that and a good brushing of her teeth, the alcohol would be unnoticeable to all but the wolves at the precinct. _I know they mean well, but it's not like they knew how Nick and I…_

Judy trailed off the thought and fell to the floor of the shower, startled by how abruptly the sense of loss came back. She fought the emptiness as long as she could, but soon wound up vomiting down the drain of the shower, until there was nothing left in her stomach. Trembling, she curled up under the spray until she was certain no one was outside the shower listening.

With a shaking paw, Judy shut off the water and pulled her towel past the curtain. She rubbed her fur as dry as she could get it, before wrapping herself in the towel and making a quick dash for the driers. There, the hot air that filled the room cooked the water off her fur and swiftly filled the empty chill in her gut.

Several minutes of brushing her teeth and gargling later, she rushed back to her room, where she closed and locked the door behind her.

 _No one needs to see me like this_ , she told herself. Sick and a little angry with herself for feeling so weak, Judy began pulling on her uniform without brushing down her fur. The result was a lot of bunching and additional wrinkling of the outfit, but that was too low on her list of concerns to even register. _Another hour or so and they can pretend I'm fine. Mom will know better, but the rest will expect me to hook up with someone to recover. Let them think what they want._

As soon as Judy had her uniform in place, she made her way up to the lobby of the burrow, hoping to start her walk to the train station that much sooner. Even swinging past the kitchen was bound to leave her trapped with a dozen relatives, who meant well, but would ask dozens of questions about her health she was not yet ready to answer. Worse still, the older bunnies were even more likely to try and set her up than Arlene and her generation. Some might go so far as to try and arrange dates before letting her know.

Judy soon reached the entry lobby, and came to a stop as she faced more than two dozen relatives, including her parents.

"We were hoping you would be up soon," Stu told her, smiling sadly at her. He picked up a small suitcase. "You ready to go, Jude? We'll be cutting things a little close on the train."

Judy backed up a step without thinking about it. Slowly, her attention drifted from her father, to his suitcase, to her mother, and then her suitcase. One by one, she looked at each bunny in the lobby, finding everyone had a bag or suitcase with them. Twenty-five Hoppses stood at the ready to leave with her, along with Gideon Grey, who stood around with a continuous look of confusion.

"What are you all doing?" Judy asked. The urge to run back down into the burrow and hide was far stronger than she would have liked. "It's time for me to go home. To the city."

This time, Bonnie stepped forward, putting both paws on Judy's shoulders. "Honey, we're coming with you. We might not have known Nick as well or as long as you, but he was family in a way. Whatever crazy thing foxes do for funerals, we'll be at your side."

Judy turned her attention to Gideon, hoping he would offer some semblance of advice or clarity.

"Oh, uh, sorry Judy," he rambled, his smile accentuating his second chin. "My family's been in the burrow for generations. Don't really know many other foxes. That's half of why I was so awful as a kid, and why I wanna go to support you and your parents. Ya'll been good to me and mine."

"Okay," Judy told them all, and took a deep breath to steady herself. "If you're going, I want you all to be respectful. Nick wasn't a bunny, so please don't act like he was. No insulting him, no insulting his species, and definitely no insulting his mother. If you even hint at the idea of me needing to start dating again, I will tase you on the spot. If you're okay with all that, you can come."

Most of the bunnies stayed where they were, but three quietly excused themselves and wandered out of the lobby. All three looked down at the taser on Judy's hip as they passed.

"I actually never got to meet him," Gideon admitted, smoothing the ill-fitting suit he wore. "Wanted to since I heard about you two, but he only came by the once. Really wanted to know more about a fox like that."

Judy waited a little longer to see if more of her relatives would skip out, but none did. She began walking, leading the group up and out of the burrow, with Gideon doggedly following a few steps behind her. They barely made it out of the burrow before her niece, Cotton, had managed to catch up and skip alongside her.

"Okay, Gideon, how much do you want to hear?" Judy asked, without looking back. Deep down, she hoped Gideon would change his mind. "That goes for any of you."

"A fox dating a Hopps? I wanna hear everything about him." Gideon lumbered up alongside Judy, opposite Cotton. "Sounds like one of those crazy movies or books Zisney puts out. What kinda fox dates a bunny? I'd love to know what he was like…if that's okay, Judy."

Judy felt a strange sense of relief at the unabashed interest, without pressure or expectations. "We've got a couple hours of trains ahead of us. There's more than I can fit into that time, if I get started. You sure you want me to start?"

"Oh yeah," Gideon said, nodding. "I keep hearing stories from your brothers, but I think they're mostly made up. Can you start with how you met him? I love a good romance story."

Judy smiled and kept walking. The train station was still quite some distance away. "Well, it wasn't much of a romance at that point. First time I met him, he was ripping off an ice cream shop…and me. I assumed all kinds of awful things about him, and half of them were true, at least until he knew that wasn't how he needed to be…"

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.3 – Moving On Without

 **August 16** **th** **, Monday Afternoon – Nocturnal District**

Standing with her relatives, Judy looked around at the small group who had gathered for the funeral, aside from the Hoppses and Gideon. Dressed in a simple outfit of pink and violet, Marian stood closest to the coffin, while Finnick had donned a turtleneck sweater and stood behind and to her right, looking almost respectable. A few members of the ZPD were present on the far side, wearing their dress uniforms. All told, the non-bunnies did not even come close to matching the numbers of Hoppses present, which made Judy feel even worse. Nick had been too good to be known by so few. He had always claimed to know everyone, but when it came to them being there for him, so few cared, or knew about his passing.

Judy swept her attention over the setting, wondering why anyone would have picked that district for even a funeral. Canopied in some areas and underground in others, the Nocturnal District was the least appealing one Judy had ever set paw in. Every time she did go there, she felt like something was bound to sneak up on her in the low light and shadows. The feeling was only made worse by the pair of bats employed by the site, standing at the edge of the funeral, waiting for the service to end.

"How does this work?" Judy asked, hoping someone near her understood.

Ten feet away, Marian looked up and turned slightly, her ears cocked toward Judy. Gesturing to her, Marian waited with one arm out, beckoning her closer.

Nervous about even being at the funeral, Judy practically dragged her hind paws as she made her way to Marian. The whole way, she kept checking her ZPD uniform to ensure it looked its best. Somehow, being presentable at a fox funeral felt important, even if every funeral for bunnies she had ever attended had required little more finery than a skirt or blue jeans, though much of that was likely due to being held in Bunnyburrow. Soon, she fell in at Marian's side, lowering her head submissively, unsure what was being asked of her.

"You look like you're trying not to run away," Marian whispered, while Finnick and several poorly-dressed mammals Judy would have normally considered street thugs lined up, taking turns standing in front of the coffin. "I can tell you don't understand. How can I help, darling?"

Judy clasped her paws tightly together, not even sure what she should ask. Marian was not wrong. She felt a strong desire to either hide in a corner, tug at her ears, or run far from the place. How the others could be so calm was beyond her understanding. "I…I don't understand. None of it."

With the patience of a saint, Marian slowly sat down on the ground so she was a little shorter than Judy. "I don't know how your species handles these things, either, so I'll try to explain as best I can. When one of us dies, family and friends gather to remember the high points of their life. We weep because we won't see the cleverness and wile of that animal again, but in theory, the funeral is about remembering who they were and what they accomplished, not what happened at the end. Once we leave here, it's mostly social time and either sharing our feelings or hiding them. In practice, this is our moment to see and smell the body, and force ourselves to believe they are truly gone."

Judy began sniffling again, unable to keep control over her emotions for more than a minute at a time. "But the ZBI didn't give us the body. How can we ever really believe it? How is this the same?"

"It isn't," Marian admitted. "It makes it far harder on all of us. We can dream and hope he's still alive. When all is said and done, the funeral is about saying goodbye for the living, not for the dead. The body only makes that easier to accept. Today is about saying goodbye, before the body is cremated and sent home with family. The ZBI has pledged to return his remains for that, at least."

The tears were no longer even slowed by Judy's best attempts at self-control. Her attention was locked to the pine box, with Finnick standing in front of it, whispering some sort of goodbye to Nick. She began to feel a little light-headed, largely due to the struggle to keep from sobbing. When Marian put her arm around Judy, she very nearly jumped.

"Go and say goodbye to him. Take as much time as you need," Marian said softly near Judy's right ear. "When the time comes for sharing memories, please join in."

"It's not…I'm not… That's for family."

Marian looked up at Judy with a mix of confusion and pity. "My dear, you were his family. Two of the three mammals in his life were not family by blood. When I said the remains would be sent home with his family, I did mean you, specifically. You were as close as he had to a spouse or mate. I certainly knew how he felt."

Judy swallowed hard, turning her attention back to the coffin. Slowly, she forced her hind paws to move, carrying her to the back of the short line. As she arrived, several of the mammals waiting there stepped aside, ushering her to the lead with whispers of condolences.

Moving up to the side of the coffin where Finnick had been moments earlier, Judy climbed onto the stepstool left for the smaller mammals, raising her high enough that if the coffin had been open, she would have barely been able to see Nick's face. Without a body, the coffin was closed and a simple picture of him with his casual smirk adorned the wood box.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said, touching the photo. The glossy paper lacked the tactile feedback she needed, and she closed her eyes, remembering the last time she had seen Nick in the morgue. Thinking better of lingering on that memory, she pulled the gold locket from the top of her uniform shirt. The loving picture inside and the tuft of fur she had taken from Nick were all she had left. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I let you…let you down…I…"

Judy felt abruptly nauseous and dizzy. Stumbling, she was barely able to snap the locket closed and catch herself on the edge of the coffin. Breathing was difficult, and her heart fluttered painfully. She thought for a moment she had managed to steady herself enough to recover, but the world spun again and she realized a second later she was flat on her back, with Finnick already at her side.

"Get an ambulance!" screamed a lion in a ZPD uniform, coming up alongside her. It took Judy longer than she would have liked to recognize Delgato. "Now!"

Judy tried to explain she was just feeling faint from the stress, but she could not manage to make out words. Paws were touching her almost constantly, checking her heart rate, her temperature at her ears, and someone's paw remained on her upper stomach, monitoring her breathing. It all felt surreal as she struggled to stay awake.

Soon, the mammals around her scattered and four EMTs rushed in to hoist Judy onto a small stretcher. The three antelopes and one beaver on the team handled her delicately, moving her with care into a waiting ambulance. As they began attaching an oxygen mask to her muzzle, Judy watched as Marian and Finnick ran up to the back doors of the ambulance and tried to climb in, only to be stopped by one of the antelopes.

"Family only!" snapped the EMT, motioning toward Stu and Bonnie, who were a few steps farther back. "We need to go!"

Judy tried to argue, but the mask and nausea kept her from speaking up. Just opening her mouth made her gag, and she had no desire to vomit into her air supply.

"She's as good as family!" Marian insisted, but the antelope would not budge.

Finally, Bonnie caught up. She did not hesitate, reaching first for the EMT to help her up. Turning, she then offered a paw to Marian, who struggled a little with her cane. Ignoring all the objections of the EMTs, Bonnie then pulled Stu into the ambulance and motioned for them to close the door.

"Family is all here," Bonnie told the irate antelope.

"The fox is not family!" the beaver at Judy's side snapped, keeping one paw on her wrist. "We don't have time for this!"

"No, we don't," Stu told them, sitting down near the beaver. "Get this ambulance driving and stop worrying about who's related to who. We'll explain later."

Grumbling, the beaver thumped the wall nearest the driver with his tail, and the ambulance set off.

Judy reached down and clasped her father's paw. Slowly, the world faded into the existing darkness of the district, and she vaguely felt her arm fall off the side of the stretcher as she went to sleep.

When Judy woke next, she lay in a hospital bed, lit by flickering florescent bulbs overhead. A slight movement was all it took to feel IVs in both arms, and her ears popped up and turned toward a machine beeping off to her left. As soon as she was relatively aware of her surroundings, she heard two mammals moving in chairs near her, and a third walking toward the room from the hallway.

"Welcome back," Marian said, leaning over Judy's right side. Near the vixen, Bonnie also hopped up, her gaze darting all over Judy's face, searching for clues as to how she felt. Beyond them, Judy could see a horse doctor leaning in the doorway, observing.

"Thanks," Judy managed to croak. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing too surprising," her mother said, sounding thoroughly sarcastic and somewhat scolding. "Some bunny skipped dinner last night to drink with her sisters, and might not have eaten today."

Judy groaned and closed her eyes. "I wasn't at all hungry today. Usually, I feel it long before I get this sick. I probably just forgot with all that's going on."

A larger paw closed over Judy's, and she opened her eyes to see it was Marian's. "When was the last time you did eat?"

Judy thought a moment. She was tempted to lie, but Marian would see right through it. "Before seeing his body two days ago."

"And drank?"

"Something other than alcohol!" added Bonnie.

Judy shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe around the same time. No wait, I had a few sips of tea."

"If you two would give me a moment," the doctor interjected, her tone offering no discussion. "I just want to have a quick chat with our patient."

Marian gave Judy's paw another squeeze, and then both mothers got up and headed into the hall, where Judy could faintly hear her father talking with Fangmeyer.

"Yes, I was stupid and forgot to eat," Judy said, as soon as she and the female doctor were the only ones in the room. She hesitated before continuing, when the mare closed the door. "I'm sure you've done things like that before."

"I have," the doctor replied, looking over her charts. "However, I'm not a bunny. How much did you weigh, last you checked?"

"A little shy of seventeen pounds."

The horse came over and looked at the machines hooked up to Judy, shaking her long head slightly. "You were down to fifteen when you came in. Much of that is water-weight lost."

"I forgot…not that big of a deal."

"Forgot to drink anything?" the doctor pushed, looking skeptical. "Your heartrate is all over the place. Losing ten percent of your body weight in a couple days is extremely dangerous. Do I need to explain what's going on, or are you familiar?"

Judy let out a long sigh. "I'm grieving for a lost love, yes. That doesn't mean I gave up on living. I know it happens. I'm fine, and really sick of explaining."

The doctor picked up a small cup off the table nearest the bed. "Ice chips. Can I get you to eat a few?"

Judy's mouth and nose were certainly dry enough to warrant the question, but she had no desire to eat or drink. Instead, when the doctor moved them closer, her stomach tightened painfully, making the idea even less appetizing. "Pass."

Sighing, the doctor sat down heavily on the chair Marian had been using before. "Judith, you're displaying classic symptoms. Either you take care of yourself, or we'll be seeing you in here a lot over the next few days. You lost your mate. You need to find a way to deal with that—"

"My boyfriend," Judy corrected, crossing her arms over her chest, despite the tug from all the IVs. "I'm not having this discussion with every stranger I meet. I'll find a way to cope."

"Coping starts with eating and drinking." The mare placed the cup on a rolling table, which she slid over top of Judy. "Until you do both, you aren't leaving the hospital. That's ZMA regulation. Lagomorphs—bunnies and such—don't get to leave if they're displaying these kind of symptoms. I won't talk with your relatives if you don't want me to, but I cannot let you walk out. Another day like this and I doubt you _could_ walk. We're getting enough nutrients into you intravenously you'll make it another day or so without causing serious damage, but this can't be how things continue."

Stubbornness rose to counter her own desire to stay away from food, and Judy picked up the cup. She ignored the nausea that tightened her stomach and poured several large chunks of ice into her mouth. Sucking on them, she gave the doctor a glower she hoped read as "Are you satisfied now?"

"Keep that up and you can leave in the morning," the doctor said, after waiting a few seconds—likely to see if Judy would spit out the ice. "I'll have the orderlies bring in some soft foods and water for later, once your body is more comfortable with eating again. Don't rush this."

"Please don't tell them yet," Judy said, barely managing to keep from spitting the ice when she spoke. "I'll let my family know, so they can watch me."

The doctor stared at Judy a while, but finally nodded. "I doubt I could keep you here, anyway. The ZPD rarely lets us keep an officer longer than necessary. I'll let you handle this. If you show up here again, I won't give you or your employer any say in the matter. You will be restrained and forcibly fed. Understood?"

"Yes. I understand."

"And no lingering on the loss. I want you to spend time with family."

"I said that I understand."

Nodding, the doctor got up and started to leave.

"Doctor," Judy called out, stopping the horse before she reached the door. "Where's my belt? It's got my cell phone, and a few other things. I need to let a few mammals know where I am."

The doctor nodded and went to the far side of the room. There, she dug around in a small closet, and soon produced Judy's duty belt, which she brought over and placed on the edge of the bed.

Judy pulled the belt onto her lap and waited until the doctor left, closing the door behind her. She probably did not have long before her family came back.

Ignoring her cell phone, Judy turned the belt around so she could reach one of the smaller pouches. Popping it open, she found her old carrot pen—though it had long since run out of ink—which she held tightly as she let her belt fall to the floor, already forgotten. Lifting the pen near her ear, she clicked the volume button as low as she could, before clicking Play.

"What're you doing, Fluff?" Nick's voice asked, causing Judy to immediately sniffle. She grabbed the cup on the table in front of her, spitting out the half of the melted ice she had not yet swallowed.

"Cuddling my favorite fox," the recorder said next in her voice. "Whhhy do you ask?"

Even over the poor recording and lowered volume, Judy could hear Nick's annoyed tongue click. "I can see you're trying to hide that stupid pen."

"What pen?"

A faint rustle filled the recording briefly.

"This pen," Nick answered smugly. "I can swipe wallets, too. A big orange pen isn't that hard to take, even under the blankets."

"Give it back!"

"Not happening, Carrots. Mine now."

"What do you want for it? It's got sentimental value and stuff."

"A pen? Really? Okay, if we're playing that way, fine. I want a kiss. Then you can have the pen back."

Judy wiped at her tears, wishing she had some semblance of self-control, so she could convince herself to turn off the recording.

"Fiiine," the version of herself on the recording said, followed by an over-exaggerated slobbery kiss sound. "Give it!"

Nick laughed and the rustling sound of the pen being given back drowned out any other noises briefly. "I love you, silly bunny."

In both the recording and out loud, Judy whispered, "I love you too, Nick."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.4 – Moving On Without

 **August 17** **th** **, Tuesday Morning – ZPD Precinct One**

"Shut it!" warned Bogo, thumping one hoof on the podium to quiet the grumbling within the secluded room near the back of the ZPD offices. "None of us are happy about this. All I can do is assure you the mayor is taking appropriate actions against the ZBI for their failings. For now, we are instructed to continue to assist. Once the threat of another attack like the one in Podunk is gone, I can assure you that any and all legal measures will be taken against any member of the ZBI involved in Wilde's death. This isn't your problem, it's mine! The next animal who interrupts is getting written up."

Judy kept her attention on the table, ignoring the ongoing squabbling between Cannus and Bogo.

"They all but killed him!" Carl objected, ignoring Bogo's repeated pounding on the podium. "Let us arrest her!"

"That's above our pay grade," Bogo insisted, huffing angrily. "Resolve this case, and they're fair game. Until then, either do what you're told, or walk away. I'm asking you to be professionals, while I work this from behind the scenes. Nick's killer will face justice, even if I have to overhaul our entire city government. Let me do my job, while you do yours. Can you do that?"

Cannus and Spetz exchanged looks, then finally Carl crossed his arms. "Fine. We'll work with them for now. I trust you to do the right thing."

Bogo muttered something, then stepped aside to turn the floor over to Snow, which had been what he had tried to do some twenty minutes earlier, starting the fight.

"As some of you are already aware," Agent Snow loudly announced to the five officers present, her calm belying the threats that had been shouted at and about her, "last week, we found evidence that Rolen's insiders were here not just to strike at the city directly, but to set themselves up for another attack. The bombing in Podunk was likely a trial run. Whatever happens to the city will be far worse. To do that, Rolen will need to engineer new weapons, which buys us some time to find his agents in the city. Someone—maybe more than one mammal—was involved in both planning and implementation. We need to locate them before Rolen's plans progress any farther. This is our first and foremost priority."

Judy looked around at Spetz, Cannus, Fangmeyer, and Delgato, finding that most were watching her, rather than Agent Snow or her partner. She had hoped the bunny agent's announcement he was going to use "Agent Harry" as his new name would help distract them, but she felt as though she had four big brothers waiting for the right time to scold her. Even worse, Agent Harry even seemed to be concerned, though thankfully he was more discrete in watching her. Given Judy's lingering desire to murder both Snow and Harry, that was probably for the best.

To allay some of their concerns, Judy sipped at a nutrient shake, though she could not bring herself to do much more than wet her lips. The few times she had tried to eat anything, she had ended up with gut-wrenching pain and wound up going without. Water was at least tolerable in small quantities, though she had to keep subtly licking her nose to maintain the appearance that she was not ill.

Snow paced about the room, continuing her morning briefing. "Our leads are limited. We know the mammal who stole the plans for Rolen was a climber and small enough to fit through a bunny-sized hole in the Tundratown walls. That's it. That's all we've got. Agent…" Snow let out a slow sigh. "…Harry and I will be leading a search today. Hopps, Cannus, and Delgato will go with me into Tundratown. The rest of you will go with Agent Harry into Sahara Square, which shares a wall with the location we found the breach. No one goes home or sleeps until we find our suspects. Any questions?"

Fangmeyer raised one paw. "Where is the rest of the ZBI? Two agents at this point seems…criminally lacking. If something were to happen to you two…"

The trailing comment held more than a touch of threat. From some of the questions he had asked earlier, Judy began to wonder if Markus intended to hide the bodies during the course of the day.

"Duly noted," Snow replied sharply, stopping her latest circuit of the room in front of the tiger. "Right now, we have agents in Podunk, agents in Bunnyburrow, and a half dozen more in the city assisting us without acting openly. Myself and Harry are essential to stopping Rolen, due to staffing issues. Revealing our entire operation to you would compromise other agency tasks."

"That gives us, what, ten or twelve total for the whole agency?" Spetz asked, spreading his paws. "Wilde, Cannus, and I found you answers in hours, but your other half dozen agents haven't found anything? What kind of circus are you running here?"

Judy smiled to herself. It was refreshing to see the other officers finally standing up to the absurdity of the ZBI's demands. Admittedly, it had taken a death before they were willing to confront Snow, but it was better than nothing. Now, every word out of her mouth was suspect, as it should have been from the start.

"Your concerns will be noted in your file," Snow warned, turning her icy glare on Spetz. "I don't know about all of you, but I want us to get moving. The sooner we find our suspect, the sooner we can all be done with this. Can we at least agree on that? I am well aware none of you have any love for my department at this point. We failed you. I admit it, but I cannot undo what happened."

A begrudging rumble passed through all of the officers. Soon, Snow looked at Judy, her angry posturing fading almost immediately to sympathy, which was about the last thing Judy wanted to see from anyone, let alone the ZBI. Turning her face away, Judy sipped at her drink again, while trying to ignore the painful twisting in her stomach.

When no one seemed willing to continue arguing, or push their concerns regarding Judy, the officers got up one by one, parting to move into two groups, based on which agent they were going with. Judy hopped off her chair, stumbling as she came down on unsteady paws, and made her way over to Snow, Delgato, and Cannus. When she felt their gaze on her, she quickly raised the shake to her lips to give the impression she was still nursing it. With luck, they would not notice she had been working on the same small can for over an hour, and it was still mostly full.

Once Judy reached the group, she leaned against the wall to wait for Snow to finish with some paperwork and lead them to their cruiser, hoping the wall's support would hide the difficulty she was having with standing. As soon as she put her back to the wall, she realized Agent Harry was making his way around the table and chairs, heading straight for her. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the can she held, ready to throw it at him if given an excuse. A faint growl from Fangmeyer and visible tensing in his legs hinted he was more than ready to back her up.

"Hopps," began the other rabbit, stopping in front of Judy. He looked around nervously, rubbing at bandages still covering his arms and parts of his neck from Nick's attack days earlier. "I wanted to say I'm truly sorry. For everything. I know what he meant to you. Perhaps we can start on fresh ground?"

Harry raised his paw to her, clearly expecting she would shake it.

Judy shifted her can to her left paw, without taking her eyes off Harry. "I'll keep doing my job, but if you take one step closer, I will break your arm, followed by anything else I can reach. That's as close as you get to a fresh start. The fact that we're having a polite conversation should mean a lot."

"Can we at least still work together without any of this bleeding over?" he asked, letting his paw drop. "This case is more important than any misunderstandings."

"Misunderstandings?" Judy demanded, taking a step forward. The agent took a step back quickly. "You attacked me—hinted you intended to rape me—and all I did was bloody your fur. You lied to my department about what happened to cover your own tail. When my boyfriend attacked you, you got him locked in a cell with someone who ended up killing him. Yes, I can do my job, even if it's with you. Don't expect me to be even remotely civil about it. You should be the one having a funeral, not Nick. You push your luck once the case is over, you might be joining him."

"Agent Harry, go deal with your team," cut in Snow, stepping between them. Even feeling somewhat addled, Judy could recognize the attempt to defuse the situation before things got worse. "We need to get moving. Officers, with me. Tundratown isn't going to search itself."

The room remained quiet and tense for several long seconds, until at last Harry turned and walked back to his own group. Once he had his back to Judy, Fangmeyer relaxed. Across the room, she even saw a change in Spetz's posture, whose usual calm was still in place, but proven false when Judy saw his claws were extended. Once Harry reached the two ZPD officers, he beckoned them to follow, and led them out of the room. That was all it took for Judy's relative calm to return, and she leaned weakly against the wall, clutching the can she had no intention of drinking from.

"I'm sorry about that," Snow said to no one in particular, once the door had closed behind Spetz. "That rodent has a mind of his own. Please don't take his behavior as representing the ZBI. There's always one in each generation of agents. Officer Hopps, are you willing and able to continue?"

Judy straightened her back and raised her ears to give the illusion she was still strong enough to tough through the conflict. "I meant what I told him. I can do my job, even if it means helping that bastard through until we get back to the station, and beating him soundly afterward. Same applies to you."

Snow's muzzle crinkled slightly in a coy smile. "You are full of surprises, Hopps. I do hope you can back them up. Looking a little tipsy today. Are you well?"

"Well enough," Judy lied, feeling the can in her left paw creak as she nearly crushed it. "Drinking with family after the funeral has me a little under the weather. You know how we bunnies are. All emotional, but then we're over it."

"I also know a liar when I see one," Snow replied, crossing her arms over her suit coat. When Delgato and Cannus let out faint growls, her smirk came right back. "One who inspires loyalty, at that. Let me offer you something, Hopps, and I hope it reassures your fellows. I protect my own, whether that means my fellow ZBI agents or those working immediately with me. I failed Wilde, but never do I make the same mistake twice. So long as you work with me, I will ensure your protection and I will happily kill to make that protection absolute. Right now, you are part of my team, while Agent Harry runs his own. That means I will kill him, if I have to, to protect any of the three of you. Should he try to attack you—no matter what I do or do not believe happened in the past—I will be the first to fire at him. Is that at least some reassurance?"

Judy looked up to her left at Delgato, who was watching her, rather than Snow. He nodded slightly, his mane shaking with the movement. She then turned to look up at Cannus, who snorted, before nodding as well.

Whatever the two might have thought of the situation, the fact they looked to Judy before offering an answer told her they were far more loyal to the ZPD than to the ZBI, no matter how jurisdiction might require them to behave. That gave her at least three allies: Fangmeyer, Delgato, and Cannus. Spetz, she could not be as sure of yet. Hopefully, things would not reach a point where she had to find out.

"That'll be good enough for now," Judy replied, looking back to Snow. "You wanted to get going?"

Snow reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "I do. I just wanted to be sure I don't have to worry about you—or any others—plotting against me while I try to save the city."

"You don't have to worry at all while you're saving the city," Judy answered, offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Guess we'll see after I'm done," Snow came right back, catching the wording Judy had used. Some things did seem to be common to all foxes. "Shall we?"

Judy led the officers in following Snow out of the precinct, and out to a waiting cruiser. Like the one she and Nick had used, the car was among the department's larger ones. To her surprise, Snow climbed into the driver's seat, while Delgato took the passenger side, and Judy and Cannus climbed into the back.

The drive from the precinct to Tundratown was relatively short, but felt like it took hours. Judy mostly ignored her fellow officers, instead watching the back of Snow's head and her perked ears as she drove. To Judy, Snow might not be ultimately responsible for what had happened to Nick, but she had contributed. She had allowed it to happen. One way or another, Judy intended to see the ZBI pay, but it could wait. For the moment, she just needed to stoke her outrage, using it to keep going until she got past her grief.

Without thinking about it, Judy slid one paw into her belt's pouch, finding the carrot pen. She wanted to listen to the recorded message, but this was far from the right time for that.

They soon reached the snow-covered district, one of the few where Judy rarely saw great numbers of mammals out and about at any given time. This day was no different, with only a few dozen outside of cars, mostly consisting of polar bears, a few seals, and one or two caribou. Even when Snow pulled the cruiser into the parking lot of a shopping district near the wall, Judy could still only pick out a half-dozen more mammals within sight. Apparently being okay with the weather did not directly translate to an enthusiasm for spending one's time outdoors.

Once the car was stopped and the engine turned off, the temperature inside began plummeting rapidly. Judy was the first to begin shivering, but Delgato was not far behind, and they both quickly pulled on their winter coats. Cannus and Snow seemed entirely oblivious to the temperature.

"This is where we'll begin," Agent Snow explained, her breath visible, even though she looked as comfortable as she had back at the precinct. "We'll spread out. I'll take Hopps. Cannus and Delgato, head west along the wall, looking for any leads. This whole area is filled with shops, which gives us a better chance of finding mammals who know what happened. Going door to door will take weeks, and we don't have that kind of time, so stores the thieves might have visited are our only chance. Hopps and I will go east, which gets us a little closer to where the wall's breach was."

No one moved. Both Cannus and Delgato watched Judy expectantly, apparently waiting for her to say she was okay with that plan before leaving her alone with the agent. Whether they knew all the details of what had happened with her blacking out at the funeral or not, they were being seriously overprotective, and it was starting to annoy her.

"Go on," Judy told them, struggling to smile reassuringly. If only there was a way to communicate that she would severely hurt Snow without remorse if there was a real problem. "I'll call you two around lunchtime and we'll figure out whether we're making progress."

"I didn't say we could—" began Snow, but all three officers turned to stare at her. For the first time Judy could recall since meeting the agent, she backed down and nodded, letting Judy essentially take control of the moment. "Yes. We can…do lunch…or something. Seems reasonable. I suppose this means I'm buying, as well. That's…fine."

Judy tucked her paws into her pockets and began walking, without waiting for Snow. She really did not know where they were going, but standing still made the cold even worse, and given how quickly it was getting to her in her weakened state, she had no desire to stay in one place long. Soon, the vixen caught up, matching pace with her.

"Hopps, we have a lot of work to sort through," Agent Snow said, keeping her eyes on the sidewalk. She tilted her head to indicate which path to take at a split ahead. "I need to know you're up to this. I am not calling you weak, and I don't want you to think I am, especially around the others. You look haggard, and I am genuinely concerned."

Judy followed the sidewalk the direction Snow had pointed out, heading toward several ski and Tundratown summerwear stores. "I'm a bunny. We're used to being cute and weak in others' eyes. I've been drinking too much. Nothing more."

Looking down at Judy, Snow took off her glasses and slid them into a pocket. "You aren't weak, though. I've been where you are. This isn't easy for anyone. There is no amount of apologizing I will ever be able to do for what you believe happened. Just please be honest with me. Are you up to this? There is no shame in admitting things have gone too far to continue."

Huffing angrily, Judy rounded on Snow. "I'll keep doing my job until I can't stand anymore. Take that for what you will. Are we going to go, or stand around until someone else ends up dead?"

Snow studied her for a short time, but finally sighed and began walking again. She led the way toward a camping and hiking store, whose front window prominently displayed climbing lines.

"Those are similar to the ropes and the ladder we found left behind in the wall," Snow explained, slipping her glasses back on. "Same make and coloring. I'd guess a half dozen places sell something similar, but this shop is close enough to the wall that I want to check with the owners."

Judy eyed the various items in the window, trying to determine what they could possibly be used for within a city like Zootopia. Admittedly, some of the artificial hills on the northern end of Tundratown were probably popular hiking and camping areas for the residents, but climbing lines seemed out of place even there. Despite not being sure what legitimate use might exist for climbing gear, she pulled out her notepad and began jotting brief details for herself, in case she needed them later.

A jingle of the door opening jarred Judy, and she realized Snow had not waited for her. Running after the fox's bushy tail disappearing into the shop, Judy barely made it past the heavy door before it slammed shut. Inside, the air was noticeably more tolerable, though the twin polar bears manning the shop were moving about in shorts and tropical-print shirts.

"Let us know if you need anything specific," called out the nearer of the two male bears, carrying a cooler over to the front window, willed with ice and water bottles. "Gear for itty bitty animals is in the back, near the bathrooms."

Agent Snow scowled at the bear, but he did not seem to even notice, if he had even looked at either of them. Reaching into her suit coat, Snow pulled out her ZBI badge, which she held up. "We're here conducting an investigation—"

The bear finally stopped working, and turned to stare at both Judy and Snow. He slowly dropped to one knee, squinting the whole time at the badge. "That is so cute! I didn't know they let foxes hold positions with government. Benny! You gotta see this! There's an adorable little fox with a badge, who says she's doing an investigation! It's like she thinks she's all grown up!"

"Fox cop?" asked the other bear, leaning to look at Snow around a rack of golf clubs. "That's a lie, Ralph. I saw the news. The new cop is a red fox. And male. You sure she doesn't work for one of those call-fox companies? A fox in a suit is probably a stripper or something like that. Most of the arctics I've met are masseuses. I didn't order a stripper, so send away."

To Judy's surprise, Snow did not give the slightest indication she was upset by the comments, even if they outraged Judy. That kind of prejudice was all too common in some parts of the city, often targeting specific species, with foxes high on that list. She had certainly seen it plenty during her time with Nick, both on the job and in their personal lives.

"Not a cop," Snow explained patiently. Her tone let Judy know this was not an unusual occurrence. "I work with the ZBI, not the ZPD, and—"

"Still say a fox in a suit is a stripper," replied Benny, going back to cleaning the counter. "If the ZPD isn't hiring foxes regularly, really doubt the ZBI is. Go get a real agent or a warrant."

Snow let her paw with her badge slowly drop to her side. The look of annoyed desperation was one Judy recognized from Nick, when Zootopians treated him as though anything he did was a setup for some kind of con.

"What I think my _partner_ here is saying," Judy piped up, drawing the attention of both bears, as she opened her coat to show her own ZPD badge, "is that I, Officer Hopps, just wanted to ask a few questions."

The bears exchanged glances, and Ralph shrugged. "Yeah, we seen you on the news. If you'll vouch for the fox and make sure she doesn't steal anything, ask away. That is a girl-fox, right? I never can tell. They get mad if I guess wrong."

Judy kept her internal grin hidden for the most part. "Yes, I will, and yes, she is. Anyway, my partner and I were wondering if you sold any climbing equipment lately. Few thousand pawlengths of ropes and rope ladders. Maybe some other gear meant for cliffs?"

Leaning forward on the counter onto both elbows, Benny eyed both Judy and Snow warily. "Yeah. We don't sell that kinda quantity often, but we did a few weeks ago. Why?"

Agent Snow raised one paw as she opened her muzzle to speak, but Judy pulled her arm back down and stepped past her.

"We've got a bit of a problem with some thieves in the area," Judy said, getting as close to the counter as she could without disappearing behind it. "They used climbing gear—very similar gear to what you sell—to get to the places they robbed."

"You got a warrant?" asked Benny, his eyes narrowing.

"Not yet, no," Judy admitted, ignoring the faint huff from Snow. "If we had a warrant, we'd have to take _all_ your records, and they'd be part of the investigation indefinitely. If your customers don't have a problem with all their purchase history, credit card information, and so on going into record, we'll be happy to go that route. I'll have my partner stay here to monitor that nothing gets lost, and I'll be back with the warrant in under an hour."

The bear grumbled and rolled his eyes. "You just want to know who bought a bunch of rope?"

"Pretty much, yes. Anyone in the last few months who bought more than…" Judy glanced back at Snow, who flashed one paw open, then her fist twice. "…four hundred meters of rope. They might have spread it over more than one visit."

"Nah, I know who you mean," Benny replied, shrugging. "Little bastard isn't bright enough to spread out her purchases. I'm not gonna spill her life story, but she's about your size and has a habit of selling things she doesn't own, if you know what I mean. My cousin Emma owns a little pawn shop down the road. Can't miss it. She'd know more about the one you're looking for. We just sell her rope and other climbing gear. Usually that's about as safe as it gets. We don't want to get into this whole warrant business. The uh…big boss…wouldn't be happy with us if we did."

"Big boss, eh?" Judy asked, grinning despite herself. "That's a very shrew…I mean… _shrewd_ way of saying that."

The annoyed twitch of the bear's muzzle let Judy know she was right. This store was part of Mister Big's domain. While they likely were not breaking any laws on their own, they would not want to have to explain why the police were poking around. The best part of it was that Judy knew she could get away with almost anything here, as Mister Big would back her in a heartbeat, so long as she did not push her luck too far. Being godmother to his grandchild had its perks.

Before Judy could ask any further questions, Snow caught her by the elbow and gently led her back to the door and out into the bitter cold.

"What was that about?" Judy demanded, pulling her arm free once the bears could no longer see them.

"The other one had begun taking pictures of us. Do you really want to use up all of your good graces with Mister Big in one visit? We had the information we needed. No reason to instigate."

Judy opened her mouth to argue—mostly about whether Snow had any excuse for arguing against instigating after some of the things she had done—but decided against it. Instead, she looked around the area, trying to find the pawn shop the bears had mentioned. It only took a few seconds before she spotted a sign almost a block away which read "Found and Frozen Pawn Shop."

"That's probably it," Judy announced.

Snow pulled out her phone and tapped at the screen briefly. Nodding, she slid it back into her coat. "Six pawn shops in all of Tundratown. That's the only one on this road, and the only one owned by a bear. I had to check, in case they were misleading just enough to stall us."

They set off again, this time with Snow making no attempt to take the lead. She let Judy go, which was a relief in and of itself. With all that had happened lately, marching toward a known destination had an appeal Judy could not put words to. If anything, it was the unknown and uncertain moments that were wearing her down. With luck, a little progress on the case would help her other issues. A few more days of feeling productive and she might not want to hurt Harry anymore, though grudges against him and Snow would probably last far longer.

The shop they soon reached was nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly not one of the pawn shops in Zootopia Judy would have thought of first when trying to target criminals. If anything, the place was almost too clean and low-key, which only drew Judy's attention further. Ears high, she studied the few items in the windows, before walking inside, setting off bells attached to the doorframe.

Coming around the behind the counter from a back room, a relatively petite polar bear smiled at their approach. "Good morning, officers. Benny said you might stop by. How can I help you?"

Judy searched the cases as she walked, until she reached the counter where the bear was waiting. "Your brother said you might know something about a burglar we're chasing. Likes to go a bit overboard with climbing ropes and whatnot."

"May I ask what she stole, so I know who we're talking about?" inquired the shopkeeper, smiling warmly. "With so many customers, I could give you wrong information by accident."

Agent Snow came up alongside Judy, but kept quiet. The vixen casually leaned on the glass case, not really looking at anything in particular.

"You already know who we're talking about," Judy said, making her tone a bit more forceful intentionally. "You did say 'her' when I didn't mention any specifics. Don't even look surprised."

The bear smiled broadly, though there was a hint of threat in the expression. "So I did. Let me check my records. What were the items they supposedly stole, so I know what to look for?"

"Books, mostly," Judy replied, giving Snow a glance to subtly ask if there was something else they should say. If there was, Snow was too distracted staring at the floor to help.

"No, no books sold here in months," the bear answered, paging through a ledger she held up in front of her face. "In fact, the mammal I'd have guessed was involved hasn't been in for a long time. Maybe they went somewhere else?"

With surprising speed, Snow hopped onto the counter with barely a paw set on the glass. She righted herself before the bear could react, snatching the ledger from the bear's paws, and dropped it in front of Judy.

"This…this is blank," Judy noted, paging quickly through the ledger, while Snow and the bear growled at one another, noses almost touching. "You're required to track all sales. Where's your real ledger?"

The bear's growl faded slowly. "We don't keep one. Safer that way, in case of a court order. I know the routine. I won't even resist. Let's head downtown. Guarantee you I'll be out before dinner."

Snow paced around the top of the counter, no longer looking at either Judy or the bear. "Ten thousand dead, and we're looking at the thief as a suspect. Do you believe your boss will bail you out, if the media runs a story about how you're helping the killer? I don't care how important you might be to his operations. If your name is tied to this, you're done."

"Killer?" the bear asked, standing abruptly straight. "No, no, no, no! I'm not getting involved in that. Her name is Renna Fennore. Just a wee little bit of a thing, living in the Nocturnal District. Comes here every so often, because no one would look for her here. Her boyfriend's the brains behind any of their thefts, though I don't know his name. She's just good at getting into places she doesn't belong. Good luck getting cuffs on her. I'd recommend you let it go."

Snow did not hesitate. She immediately leapt to the floor, landing a little harder than Judy would have expected. Raising her radio, she began marching for the door as she announced, "All agents and officers, we have a suspect in the Nocturnal District, answering to the name Renna Fennore. I want her and an unnamed male partner in cuffs within the hour. Mobilize everyone if you have to."

Judy scampered after Snow, following her out onto the street. No sooner had they reached the sidewalk, than Fangmeyer's voice answered over the radios.

"Agent Harry says we're closest. Will intercept and detain. Do we want ZBI on premise or leave the search to another crew?"

"Apprehend and bring either or both back to the precinct," Snow ordered, heading straight for their cruiser, with Judy barely keeping up. "I'll have someone else secure the home if you have to leave. Just get them to the precinct before anyone else working for outside interests finds out we have them. I'm not losing another suspect. Tundratown team two, get to the cruiser. If you're not there in five minutes, we leave without you, and you can walk back."

Seconds later, Snow unlocked the cruiser and scrambled into the driver's seat, while Judy got into the back. Almost as an afterthought, Judy reached for her nutrient shake, but it had already begun to freeze. Wrinkling her nose at the idea of trying to drink a half-frozen beverage she had hated before it froze, she quickly poured what was left of it into the snow near the rear tire of the car.

Once the door was closed, Judy watched Snow incessantly tap her fingers on the wheel, while turning her head in random directions, searching for the others.

"There they are," the agent finally announced, starting the car with a roar.

Cannus and Delgato practically ran, hopping in as Snow gunned the engine. Judy could not fully understand the hurry, given that the suspect was not in custody yet, but she was happy to have something to focus on.

"I take it your search went better than ours?" Delgato asked, looking over at Judy from the other side of the back seat. "You definitely look a lot better."

"Getting out and being active helped." Judy saw from the corner of her eye, he was still watching her. She held up and shook the empty can. "A little food helped, too."

"Good, glad to hear it. Cannus, you figure out what you stepped in by the cruiser?"

"More than half a can of nutrient shake, judging by the smell," the wolf answered immediately, without looking back.

Judy cringed. Lying to her coworkers was bad enough, but being caught doing it was somehow worse.

"We're holding you to those lunch plans," Delgato added, leaning on the door to watch the scenery race past. "Pick the place, but we're making sure you have lunch."

Judy groaned and put the empty can in a cup holder. "Fine. Don't expect me to be chipper about it."

"And don't expect we won't pin you down and make you eat something," warned Cannus, humor in his voice, even if it sounded more like a threat. "Some of us might have spoken to your family and gotten the whole story. If we don't keep you healthy, your mother threatened to send your siblings after us. Delgato thought that sounded entertaining, but I don't really want to tangle with a few dozen bunnies after the things I've seen you do."

"Few dozen?" asked Delgato, chuckling. "Try closer to a few hundred. The Hoppses are a small family."

Judy squirmed a little under the scrutiny and open discussion of her health issues, as though she were not there. The idea that her mother had told her colleagues what to watch for felt like both a betrayal and a sort of watchful eye. The two concepts conflicted and made her just want to curl up and hide. At least it explained why they were being so overprotective.

"Can we focus on the job?" asked Snow, looking over at Cannus and then at the backseat using the rear mirror. "We have a suspect—"

"We have nothing yet," Judy warned, thankful for the change in topics.

A loud crackle from all four of their radios filled the car, followed by Agent Harry's announcement, "We have the suspect's partner in custody, named Martin. Renna is on the run. Judging by the partner's reaction when we showed up, he's got information. We're on our way to the precinct. Agency is sending additional resources to secure the residence and watch for Renna's return. We are to concentrate efforts on Martin for the time being."

Snow set aside her radio and smiled broadly. "That, my ZPD officers, is grounds for celebration. Once we finish with Martin, I'll buy that lunch or dinner myself. If we're lucky—very lucky—any attempt by Rolen to escalate things into another war just ended. Any of you who don't wish to continue working this case will be released back to Bogo this afternoon."

Judy felt elated at first, thinking things would return to normal. Then, the reality of her new life began to sink in, crushing any sense of relief. There was no returning to normal. Until her body had accepted its loss and she could convince herself to eat again, there was only work and the endless attempt to keep going. From what little she knew, that could take a few days to a few weeks, often with days spent in bed being watched by family to ensure things did not get worse.

Reaching into her pouch, Judy put a paw on her carrot pen, reassuring herself it was safe. Once she knew she had that and her locket, there was nothing else to concern herself with. Everything else was part of her job.

"I'll stick around until it's all done," she announced, getting a surprised stare from Snow in the rear view mirror. "I want to see what Rolen's up to this time."

Delgato and Cannus exchanged glances, but it was Cannus who spoke up first. "I'm probably out. We'll see how things go with the suspect. If the case is dying down, I'd much rather get back to my regular duties. Bogo needs all the help he can get."

Judy turned to look at Delgato, but the lion shifted in his seat to stare out the window. He eventually sighed and answered. "If Bogo needs me, he gets first dibs. If not, I'll stay on. I've got nothing left beyond the job. Someone just tell me where to go and I'll keep working."

The helpless resignation felt all too familiar to Judy, as she ran her fingers over her locket.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.5 – Moving On Without

 **August 17** **th** **, Tuesday Afternoon – ZPD Precinct One**

"Anything yet?" asked Chief Bogo, standing off to Judy's left as they watched the mouse lemur in the next room through one-way glass. Bogo had only just arrived after briefing the mayor on the situation. From what little rumor Judy was able to pick up around the precinct, part of their meeting had been to discuss Nick's death, and what that meant for the ZBI.

"Nothing," Judy answered, biting her thumb claw. Somehow, it had felt as though they were nearing an end when Martin had been brought in, but his relaxed posture and closed eyes left a lot of uncertainty about when or if they would gain any new information. "She hasn't even gotten him to state his name for the record, and he's not in any of our databases. No driver's license, no prints on file, no pictures of him in any system. All we've got is that he answered the door as 'Martin' before he stopped talking."

Inside the room, Snow circled the seated suspect slowly, her movement all but screaming "stalking predator." It was not an unusual tactic with prey suspects—force them onto the defensive via their instincts, if one could not do it through words. Each time Snow asked a question, she was more aggressive than the previous time, though none of it cut through the lemur's calm. Instincts only went so far, and not every suspect was still in touch with theirs.

"Three hours," Bogo said, shaking his head. "That's how long she's already been going at him. I can't hold him forever without charges. They mayor's office is demanding we get this case closed before end of day, so they can talk to the press. If we don't, I may lose some political support in pressing formal charges against the ZBI's agents."

Judy started to answer, but her ears shot up and her limbs froze when Snow slapped the suspect across the back of the head hard enough that he almost fell forward onto the table.

"Deal with her," growled Bogo. "We just crossed a line. ZBI can get away with that, but we can't. If they're going to hold suspects here, we need to abide by the law. Do what you have to about Snow, but I want this controlled."

"I'll handle it, sir."

Bogo hurriedly left the room, likely to maintain some deniability if Snow had to be reined in. Judy had seen similar tactics before. If he stayed, he was responsible for what happened, even if he opposed it. By leaving, he could more easily challenge Snow if she caused trouble for the officers who did stop her.

Judy jumped down off her stool, but came down wrong and fell forward onto paws and knees. At first she thought maybe her bruised hind paw had given out. She tried to get back up, but failed the first time, when her head began to swim. By the time she got enough control over her body to stand, her heart was racing painfully.

 _Okay, maybe there's a real problem_ , she admitted, sliding up the wall for support. She put her other paw on the locket under her uniform. _I promise I'll drink some water…or something…after we get done with this. I am being a dumb bunny. No doubt about that. I'm not ready to say this is anything more than a little depression setting in, but I do need to be more careful._

Walking out of the room, Judy swung past one of the precinct fridges and grabbed two bottles of water. Taking them with her, she went to the interrogation room, where she did not bother to knock before entering. As soon as she entered, she found Snow standing over the suspect with a balled paw, though she did not appear to have struck him yet.

"I've got this," Snow said firmly, lowering her paw. "Go do paperwork, officer."

Judy held her ground, looking between Snow and the suspect, who kept his attention on the table. Given that he was a little smaller than Judy, even a half-hearted slap from Snow had to have been painful. If she was willing to openly strike him in a room filled with cameras, the ZPD was going to be taking him to the hospital in no time.

"You're relieved," Judy told the ZBI agent, walking past her to stand next to Martin. She placed one bottle of water on the table in front of him, where he could reach it with his one uncuffed paw. "I saw what you did. We don't abuse our suspects."

Snow's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Good thing he's not your suspect, Hopps. This is ZBI jurisdiction. We're including the ZPD out of courtesy."

The lemur's head came up as Snow finished talking, his large eyes turning to stare at Judy. "Hopps? Officer Judith Hopps?"

"Yes," Judy answered, though she kept watching Snow, daring her to act. "If you would rather I handle this questioning—"

"Oh, I'm not answering you, either," explained Martin, giggling a little. He opened the water and took a long drink, before setting it aside and smiling at Judy. "I just thought I'd let you know Rolen says 'hi' and ask how Wilde is doing. I heard he had some problems with someone a friend paid off. Poor little fox…"

Judy accidentally let the second water bottle fall onto her hind paw, but barely even noticed. She stared in shock at the mouse lemur, who grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. All Judy could manage was to look past him to Snow, who shrugged and slowly turned her back. The cameras were probably still recording, but the only other mammal in the room was not watching her anymore.

"What did you say?" Judy asked, barely able to make her voice heard.

"Clever fox wasn't clever enough," Martin answered, leaning on one elbow on the table. "Got himself in a cell with a tiger, I hear. How long did he last? Rolen will want to know. Was the body in one piece, or did they have to mop him up? I think Rolen still pays extra based on how many pieces his enemies are reduced to."

Judy numbly walked up to the lemur's chair, looking him in the eyes. "Are you saying you had my…you had Nick killed?"

"I'm not confessing to anything, bunny," he snapped. "I just hear things. I hear he cried like a kit, too. Begged for mommy before he died. Sobbed and pleaded."

There was no dismay or fear left. All Judy felt was an overwhelming need to hurt someone who had hurt those she loved, if it meant saving anyone else that kind of pain. She had Martin by the scruff of the neck and pinned to the table before she decided she was going to do it, with her other arm locking his wrist up behind his shoulder blades as he screamed for help.

"Tell me what else Rolen's up to!" Judy yelled near Martin's ear, while he howled in pain. Another inch or two on his arm and it would dislocate or break, though she no longer cared. "Who else is he planning to kill?"

The door to the room crashed open, and Chief Bogo stepped in. "Hopps! Drop him…now!"

"Chief?" Judy asked, blinking as she began to fully realize what she had done. Looking the other direction, she found Snow was watching her with a cold evaluating stare that could have meant anything. The suspect continued to whine and squirm, trying to free himself. "Chief…he knows about Nick's death."

"I said, drop him!" Bogo repeated, taking a slow step toward her. "Snow, take the suspect to holding, and if he gets so much as ruffled fur along the way, I will personally take it out of your pelt. I'll deal with Hopps myself."

Snow walked up alongside Judy, gently taking over her hold on Martin's neck and wrists, before easing him back into a more comfortable position. She helped him stand, then led him past Bogo and out into the hallway, leaving Judy and Bogo alone in the room.

"What the fuzzy hells was that?" Bogo practically roared, closing the door behind him. "You just assaulted a suspect!"

Judy stood straight, trying not to back down, though facing Bogo was far from easy. "He knows about Nick!"

"Who cares?" Bogo came right back, glowering. "None of that matters, if we can't hold him. ZBI gets a scolding when they do this sort of thing. We have rules, and I don't care about your feelings when it comes to the law. You, I'm expected to have better control over."

"Maybe you shouldn't," Judy blurted out. "If we have to let him go without that information, we aren't doing our jobs! You couldn't even make charges against the ZBI stick after they got Nick killed!"

"Hopps, stand down." Bogo's usual angry demeanor abruptly shifted to something that felt more worried. "Walk away from this. If we can get that information we will. I am ordering you to stop right now, and go to your desk to cool off."

"No!" Judy could not even think clearly through her lightheadedness and upset stomach. "We should be doing everything we can to get that information! If you won't, maybe I need to!"

Bogo huffed loudly and stood up straight. "Officer Hopps, you are on immediate suspension. Pack up your things and go home. We'll meet Monday morning to see how you're doing then. Until that time, I do not want to see you in this precinct. You cross the precinct threshold before then, and I will have you arrested."

Judy stood where she was, panting, for a long minute after Bogo had stopped talking, waiting for him to say more. When it finally did sink in that he had said all he intended to, she felt herself shrink away, her ears falling to her back as her crossed arms began to feel more like she was trying to hold in a fresh round of tears.

"Chief?" she asked, glancing around nervously, trying to think through exactly what she had said and done to figure out how to continue. "Chief, I didn't mean to—"

"I said, go home," the chief repeated. "You're not in your right frame of mind. I'll stand by that. Go home and get yourself right in the head. A good meal, maybe a few drinks, whatever it takes to move on. Until I'm certain you're able to begin straightening yourself out after what happened, you will not wear a badge. There's way too much anger here to let you carry a gun. You're too close to this."

Judy's arms dropped to her sides. "I'm not sure being home alone is a good idea, sir."

"You didn't give me a choice, Hopps. Policy is policy, whether it's for a bunny or a wolf. You go home and sort this out. If you need someone to check on you, I'm supposed to decline so that the department is not responsible for your actions. That said, I might have heard Delgato and Fangmeyer say they intend to help however they can. I won't stop them if they need to answer a call from you. Now…go."

Judy hung her head and walked past Bogo. She headed straight to the front door of the precinct and out to the nearest subway entrance several blocks up. Her mind was fogged, making the walk and her ride on the subway feel almost instantaneous, though she could not recall any details of the time, as she walked up to the door of her—Nick's—apartment.

Unlocking the door, Judy hesitated as she heard one of the other mammals from the floor coming her way, then realized she did not do well talking to them even on the best of days. Most were afraid of her simply because of her uniform, but there was no reason to let them know she was now a cop living alone in a dangerous part of town, who was not even technically a cop for the moment. To avoid the approaching mammal, she slid into the apartment, closing the door behind her. After a second, she snapped the deadbolt, sealing herself in the room, surrounded by familiar scents and memories. Immediately, her attention went to the large vase on the table near the window, which held Nick's ashes.

Judy sat down hard, and pulled her cell phone and the carrot recorder from her belt to make sure they did not get crushed under bunny butt. She looked between the two, trying to decide what to do. Rather than torment herself again so soon, she forced her paw to place the pen on the floor, where she would be less tempted to listen to the recording.

Lifting her phone, she pressed a speed dial near the top of her list, and waited as the phone rang. Each time it did, she felt a deeper sense of hopelessness sink in. Just when she wondered if she should hang up, the familiar male voice answered.

"Judy?" Jack asked, sounding very surprised to hear from her. "Aren't you supposed to be at work? You okay?"

"No, not really," she answered, thumping the back of her head against the door. "I'm really not okay. I don't know what to do. Everyone says I need to get over this, but…he's gone. It still doesn't feel real. I'm waiting for him to walk in, but angry at myself because I know he won't."

Her brother stayed silent a long time, but finally cleared his throat. "Judy, I know this is hard. Arlene had the right idea, though. You know how we are…"

"We? Hoppses?"

"No…well…yes, we are pretty much all corny romantics, but I meant bunnies. Until you find someone new, this isn't going to be much easier. I mean, that's what happened with—wait, I wasn't supposed to talk about that."

Judy glanced at the phone, and rolled her eyes at the idea that anything was too much to talk about after the week she was having. "Spit it out, Jack."

"Mom and dad," he answered softly. "They both were getting over bad breakups and started dating to get over it. They happened to click. It's why Arlene wants you to at least see someone, even if it's just to get out of the house."

"Jack, I can't date this soon."

"I'm not asking you to," Jack replied. "You and Nick weren't _really_ dating when you went to movies all the time. Just something like that. Spend time with mammals who aren't family, and this will pass much faster. Be with friends."

Groaning, Judy wished she had not made the call. "I'll consider it, Jack. That's all I can offer."

"Please do, Judy. If you want me to come over—"

"No, I'll be fine." She slid her thumb up to the screen to hang up that much faster. "Love you, Jack. I'll talk later."

She hung up, and stared at the screen until it went dark. In the dim afternoon light that came through the shades, she could see the rest of the room, even if she did not want to pay attention to it. Sooner or later, she knew she would need to get up and change out of her uniform, but there was no desire left to do so. Instead, she dragged herself into the kitchen, where she pulled out a bottle of vodka Nick kept hidden in the cabinets, and sat down at the table with her phone, the pen, and the nearly-full bottle of alcohol.

Judy turned the phone's screen back on, tapping through until she found the Zinder app her sister had installed. As much as it sickened her to open it, she scrolled to the recent messages, where the two she had gotten before leaving Bunnyburrow remained unopened. She immediately opened the one from Darren Buckson, though she had to swallow a knot in her throat at the idea she was even considering this.

 _Hello! I saw your profile and wanted to introduce myself. I've never used these dating apps before, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong. Long story short, I'm a summer-bunny, with a love of hiking and camping. Currently living in the city—Zootopia, not the burrows—which was something I saw on your profile, too. Anyway, not looking for anything too serious just yet. Really just want to meet some new folks, maybe get dinner. I think these were supposed to be short, so I'm already prattling. Anyway, phone number's below if you're interested. –Darren_

Judy stared at the message a long time, wondering if she really could make herself call. Finally, she pressed her thumb to the number, triggering the phone to begin the call, whether she was ready or not.

"Hi," she practically whispered, when the phone picked up. "I saw your message on Zinder. Nothing serious? Good, good, me either. Just had a relationship end…suddenly. Was looking for something friendly, nothing more. You okay with that? Whew. If you're still up for it… Oh, you are? That…actually that sounds wonderful. Tomorrow evening? I'll see you then."

Judy hung up and slid the phone away from her on the table, feeling as though it was making her paws dirtier with each second she was in contact with it.

Popping open the bottle, Judy poured herself a cup of vodka using a glass left on the table from a few drinks the night before. Once she had a decent buzz going, she picked up her carrot recorder and pressed Play to listen one more time.

"What're you doing, Fluff?" asked Nick's voice on the recording.

"Just betraying your memory," she answered, turning off the playback. The tears were on their way, no matter how she fought to prevent them. "Nothing you would blame me for, even if I will."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 3.6 – Moving On Without

 **August 18** **th** **, Wednesday Night – Undisclosed Location, Outer Canal District**

Nick gasped as he woke, feeling as though a horrible fever had finally broken. He reached out frantically, grabbing at anything he could reach, but he only found the edges of the bed on which he lay. Each clawing reach came back with only more sheets, until he finally gave up and curled into a ball, struggling to catch his breath. A sliver of his rational mind wondered why Judy was not close at paw, but he could not find the strength to call for her.

"Wilde, good to see you rejoining us at last," came a female voice nearby, and Nick reached toward it, trying to find out who was nearby, while desperately hoping it was Judy. A strong paw caught his, holding firmly. "I was starting to worry. Do you remember anything?"

Nick slowed his breathing to keep from hyperventilating, and sniffed, trying to get some more information about his surroundings until his vision returned. "A little. I was in a cell. Judy just left."

"He's doing better than I expected, considering," a male voice said, chuckling. "Might even mean he got away with little to no brain damage. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, long-term."

"Zippy?" Nick asked, grinning despite the aching through his body. "Does this mean I get to beat on you some more? Is that Snow holding my paw like she almost cares? Where's Judy? And why are you two idiots being nice?"

"It's not Zippy. No, please don't. Yes, she does that sometimes. I don't know, as she doesn't want me anywhere near her for obvious reasons. And we are generally nice animals, Wilde, though I know you think that's a lie." Nick picked up the sound of the bunny moving slightly father away. "Your current condition actually puts us in a better place to have a rational discussion. It was either this or tying you up until you calmed down."

"Talk away, Zippy. I'll be ready to slap the shit out of you in a few minutes. As soon as I can focus my eyes, we're starting round two."

Snow laughed, and tightened her grip on his paw. "You are a fighter, Wilde. Harry was right about you. He has a far better sense for mammals than I do. I owe you more than one apology."

"Harry?" asked Nick.

"Agent Harry…you keep calling him Zippy. He's going with a non-traditional agency name."

Agent Harry cleared his throat. "Before we move on to you trying to kill me…again…I want to explain myself. We need to reach an understanding."

Nick nodded, hoping to let the tiny bastard talk all he wanted, if it was going to buy more time for his vision to return. There were no restraints on his arms or legs, so he fully intended to finish the job he had started that morning. Everything after entering his cell felt muddled, as though someone had struck him in the head repeatedly.

"Do you remember being attacked?" the bunny asked. "Not by me. After."

Nick cocked his head, listening briefly to the room to be certain no one else was there. "The tiger agent. The one who hit me first. Who is he?"

"He?" Harry's pawsteps sounded a little closer. "I believed Lyra Strypes hit you first. The male was Jaiden Tailmoore. Contracted guard for the ZBI, but not an actual agent per se. I'm glad you remember that much. We were worried you would lose all of the day, and possibly more. There was some talk of you having huge gaps in your memory, but I'd say we're doing well. May I ask why you want his name?"

"He hits like a pussy," Nick answered, grinning. "You can tell him I said that, too."

To Nick's surprise, Snow began laughing. She soon sounded as though she were hysterical, the strain in her giggling making him wonder if she almost never actually laughed.

"It's really not appropriate…Snow…please," pleaded Harry. "Wow. You broke my partner, Wilde. Impressive. She actually does like plays on words, so I think you just manipulated your audience. Snow, you're going to hurt yourself. This is seriously undignified. Really? A pussycat joke is what does you in? Fine, let it out. This breakdown has been a long time coming."

Faint shapes finally began resolve as Nick blinked again. He could make out Agent Snow standing alongside the bed, still covering her muzzle as she attempted to stop laughing. When he looked the other way, he saw many blurry shapes, any number of which could have been Agent Harry.

"Someone want to tell me why I feel hungover and can't see?" Nick asked, pulling his paw away from Snow. Raising both paws in front of his face, he found he could barely count his own fingers. "What did you two do to me now? Start explaining, or this is getting added to the list of things I make sure the city knows about."

"We saved you, Wilde," Harry explained, and Nick saw one of the blurs move across the room, giving him a sense for where the bunny was. "Not elegantly, and not legally by any stretch of the imagination, as I'm afraid things got carried away. Given your injuries and some…creative, shall we say…awkward methods, we were forced to put you into a tiny little coma, but we're moving ahead now wi—"

Nick's ears shot up and he no longer wanted to kill Harry outright. Confusion and shock had more than replaced his anger. "Wait, what? I was in a coma? How long?"

"Chemically-induced, yes," Snow replied, still sounding as if she were struggling to keep from giggling. "Jaiden injected you with a fairly strong sedative, as well as a chemical that increases pain. The tigers were barely hitting you. As for how long, just a few days. We did have to stop your heart briefly, so there was some question as to whether you would pull through. We used some cutting-edge medicine to up the time we could keep you under, but I won't bore you with that. What's important is that you are alive, without noticeable brain damage, and we can get everyone back on task. All of the brain swelling is down."

"On task? Your partner molested my girlfriend," Nick snapped, trying to sound serious and threatening, which did not work so well when nearly blind.

"I want to apologize for that," came the bunny's reply from somewhere a little farther away than Nick wanted him to be. "We were actually testing her for compliance, or whether she would stand up to authority figures. Her response did matter. It wasn't done for my personal gain."

Nick snarled and felt around what he believed to be a table nearby, until he found something metal and heavy, which he threw across the room in the vague direction of Harry's voice. "You need to apologize to Judy, not me. If she forgives you, I'll back down. That's her fight, but I'll keep coming after you until she tells me to stop. Now someone explain why you put me into a coma in the first place. We were trying to help you."

"We were counting on that help, and your involvement long after this is done," Snow replied, slapping at his paw when he tried to grab something else off the table.

"We're helping, not enlisting."

"That's not entirely true," Snow piped in, taking both of Nick's paws—likely to keep him from throwing anything else. "We need your help. I don't like begging, but I will. Harry and I have already solved the crimes here in the city. We need help with something entirely different, but that requires trust we simply don't have for strangers. If I told you we can not only stop Rolen, but prevent everything he's worked for, how far could I ask you to go to make that happen?"

Nick stared at the pale blur in front of him. "Anything short of risking Judy. After what happened in Podunk, I'd be willing to put myself in a lot of danger to stop him from doing that to my mother or Bunnyburrow."

"And if we said we had Hopps nearly willing to help, as well?" Snow pressed.

"I doubt that greatly. Regardless, we're a package deal. Whatever you think you're signing me up for isn't happening unless she's onboard. If she's in danger, I'll be there to get shot instead. If I'm in danger, I'm guessing she'll say the same. Only thing is, she's the stubborn one. I'll be honest, I don't want to go anywhere near Rolen ever again. If I have to…I'm guessing it'll be with her at my side."

"Then let me give you a choice you'll hate." Snow leaned a little closer, and Nick found he could make out the pink of her nose. "You get to choose for both of you. We need help stopping Rolen, which might be a death sentence. Right now, Hopps can walk away without fear of her being hurt, but she will never do it if she knows you're going. If neither of you goes, we will likely fail to stop him. If both of you go, you might watch her die, or she you."

"I can't exactly not tell her. She's her own mammal. I won't speak for her."

Snow tilted her head and suddenly refused to look Nick in the eyes, making him instantly concerned. "What if she thought you were dead? It's a lie, I know, but it's a lie that could save her life. You come with us to stop Rolen, and she'll be safe, but will think you're dead. If you don't go, we will fail, and both of you will be at risk when his next attack comes. If you want to bring her, you'll need to let her know you're alive…and convince her not to kill either of us. Bringing her puts her in harm's way, without a doubt."

"You want me to leave town?" Nick asked, getting a curt nod from Snow. "Leave town without her knowing I'm even alive? That's well over the line into insane, and that's with me glossing over the part where you killed me. We'll come back to that."

"She can go on with her life, if you do it," Snow explained. "It's a mercy to her. It would be your choice to save her from the dangers, as well as giving her a normal life. She would have the chance to start over, possibly settle down with someone more compatible. We both know a bunny isn't cut out for facing Rolen. Now imagine the animals he's surrounded himself with. Hopps will be hurt and possibly killed simply for who she is. Let her think you're dead and help us finish this."

Nick barely hesitated before answering. "No. Absolutely not. I don't want her to go, but that's not my choice. It's hers. I've done a lot of lying in my life…far too much. I won't lie to her, or make decisions for her. I love her and I want her safe, but it's up to her, not me."

"Give it until morning," Snow pleaded. "You're still sick, and I doubt you'll make it halfway to her. If you still feel this way then, we won't stop you. I just ask that you come back here to deliver your answer. With the ZPD believing you dead, no one is planning to have you show up for work tomorrow."

"Why the trick?" he asked, looking first at Snow, then at Harry. "Why make me believe you tried to hurt Judy, and why claim I was dead? I'm not seeing the point of all this."

Harry slid his paws into his pockets. "Protection. If you're believed dead, your mother is entirely safe, so long as the city is. Your brother is likewise safe. Rolen holds a grudge like you wouldn't believe. There were bounties on your life, and those of your friends and family. The bounty on your mother alone was enough to live comfortably for a decade. All of the bounties are null and void the moment you were reported dead, so we hurt you to spare both of them. As for hurting Judy…I wouldn't, but had to make her think I would. It was solely to determine what she would do if someone tried—which they will, where we want you to go. One of many reasons she probably shouldn't go."

"If there's bounties on my family and myself, she's not safe even here? You spared my family with the fake death, but what about her?"

Harry shrugged. "We've done all we can to make her look like less of a threat. Once we engage Rolen, I doubt he'll even consider attacking the city. If she goes with us, we fabricate her death, as well, but she'll face far worse than what I've done. Ursian lands are not a fun place for prey. We're hoping her grieving over losing you will make her far less desirable as a target."

"What about all this did to my family emotionally? Hers? I can't even guess at how my mother's taking this."

"They can't know the truth until we come back," Snow said. " _If_ we come back. For now, your mother and brother are better off not knowing you're alive. They've already had a funeral for you, and it won't be easy going back on that. Once we come return, feel free to tell them everything. Blame me, if you need to. Many others already are. I chose to play the part, and I fully intend to accept whatever charges or violence comes my way for what I did to you. I believe Bogo has already begun sizing me up for a casket."

Nick pulled his paws free, and rubbed at his muzzle. "I'll probably talk to Judy in the morning, no matter what. After that, we'll see. I'll probably have a few hundred questions for you, so be ready."

"I'd expected as much," Harry admitted, coming over to stand in front of Nick, beside Snow. "Rest up. Things are about to get a lot more complicated, but I'm glad you're willing to see this through."

Nick nodded, leaning forward as he began speaking again. "One other thing, Harry…"

"Yes?"

With the bunny in range, Nick punched him as hard as he could, sending Harry tumbling onto his back, clutching at a bloodied nose. The swing was far weaker than he had hoped, but it was still comforting. "Nothing. I just wanted to finish what I started. If another test requires you to touch Judy without her permission, I won't try to stop her when she shoots you. Same goes for how Judy treats Snow, if something's done to me."

To Nick's surprise, Snow made no attempt to either stop or restrain him. Instead, she watched the exchange calmly, and even folded her paws together.

"Get some rest, Wilde," Snow insisted, once her partner was back on his paws, though far outside Nick's reach. "Tomorrow, you're making a lot of decisions about the rest of your life. I can't even begin to express how happy I am you are still with us."

The two agents left the room, closing the door behind them. The faint sound of a lock clicking shut was not missed as Nick studied the small room, trying to figure out more about where he was being held. It was definitely better than a cell, but the place still felt like one. Hooks on the wall with his clothing, a small bedside table, and a sink and toilet in the corner were all the amenities they had given him. There was not even a shower or remotely private location, which annoyed him even more given that he was confident they were watching the room by camera. While he could probably have picked the lock on the door, he had nowhere to go if he was in the middle of a ZBI building.

 _Okay, Nick, this is a new one._ He lay back down on the bed, staring up at the unremarkable ceiling. _You're dead. Mom kind of expected that a few times, but this is different. So now it's either help the little bastard that groped Judy and his ice queen partner, or have Rolen start a war in the city. Great choices, as always. Upside, I get to let Judy know I'm not dead, which has to be worth at least a kiss or two—maybe more, if I can talk her into a repeat of what she did last week when we couldn't sleep. If I just write this off as the best prank of my life, it's win-win, once my mother forgives me. Finnick will probably stab me with a fork, so be ready for that._

Nick thought over the idea of confronting Rolen again, and instead of being hopeful of getting closure, the very image of Rolen sent nervous shivers through most of his body. They had gotten lucky three times facing off against that bear. Their luck was bound to run out sooner or later, and he did not want it to happen when they were facing someone who would be perfectly happy dismembering either of them by hand.

Soon, detailed thoughts about how to survive another encounter with Rolen faded into muddled images of Judy, and those into dreamless sleep. He did not even realize he was still exhausted from whatever they had done to him, until he woke with a jolt some time later. As before, he could sense others in the room.

"You sleep like the dead," Agent Snow said, the faintest touch of humor in her voice. "I could have done all kinds of awful things without waking you. Some would have made good money on the internet."

"At least buy me dinner first." Nick rubbed at his eyes, but opted not to sit up yet. "What time is it?"

"Early. Any reasonable fox would just be bedding down, rather than waking."

Nick looked around, and found that Snow sat in a chair which had been added near the door since he had last been awake. "Good thing neither of us is reasonable. You sit there all night?"

"Not all night," she admitted, crossing her legs and bouncing one hind paw. "I don't sleep much. When we run out of things we can do, I usually end up waiting on others to finish sleeping. Some say it's creepy for me to sit around while others sleep, but it's just part of my charm."

"Insomnia?" He sat up on the bed, yawning louder than he had anticipated. "Listening to Zippy talk can probably cure that right away."

"Wilde, not everything's a joke."

"Sure it is. If you can't laugh at life, what's the point?"

Snow's paw-bouncing came to a stop. "I've read your file. Tormented by prey bullies as a kit. Your broken family gave you trust issues. Dated and left by so many vixens, the ZBI analysts felt you would probably be scared of me, especially after Silvia. The psych profile used to build the persona I played around you was meant to target those insecurities, which we did not expect you to be able to overcome. First predator of our species dating a prey species in the city. Very traumatic past, but very convoluted present. You deal with all of it by laughing at others."

"They aren't wrong," Nick admitted, smirking. "I can give you tips, if you want."

"I would have killed for that life growing up," Snow answered, her tone going cold. "I only sleep when I have to, because if I do, I see what the Ursian generals did to my family. My mother was butchered in front of me when I was ten. My brothers, all forced into Rolen's version of the spy service. My sister… I know she was taken, but I don't ask questions beyond that, lest I get details no mammal wants to hear. Father died trying to protect me from being used as payment for a debt owed to the Ursius household. Took a few weeks to get all of his blood out of my fur, but by then I was living on the street, being hurt or hunted by others. If you want to explain how I can find humor in my life, please, feel free."

Nick could not find words for some time. He stared at Snow, waiting for her to continue or to do anything more than blink. She gave him nothing. "I'm sorry. I had no way of knowing."

"Of course you didn't. I didn't want you to know. Few do, other than Harry."

"Then why tell me now?"

"Two reasons, really." Snow got up from the chair, and walked over to stand in front of Nick. "The main reason was that if we're to work together against Rolen, there needs to be some trust, which I have not given you any reason to build up until now. You need to understand me, or you won't trust me. Until I was certain you were up to this task, I certainly wasn't going to offer anything about who I really am, or what I've seen. If you are going to help us, I need to trust you with my life and you need to trust me with yours. Not because we like each other—hell, I don't like Harry most of the time, and he's my only true friend—but because our lives depend on working well together. I've done a lot to destroy any trust you might have. Now, I need to make up for that. There is no amount of apology I will ever be able to give that makes up for all I've put you and your family through."

Nick nodded, looking down at his toes under the sheets briefly. "And the other?"

"To manipulate your feelings. You were vulnerable, and telling you now was the perfect time to push you toward accepting me. Admitting it doesn't change that."

"Was it true?"

"Every word," she said, though if there was any pain tied to the memories, she certainly did not show it. "I trust you because you joke, but ultimately, you have the best interests of others at heart. You don't believe rules apply to you. You think quickly on your paws. These are all the same traits I see in Harry, though unlike him, I can have you at my side without drawing extra attention."

"You're saying we'd be working together if we go after Rolen?"

"All three or four of us will be, but you would be my specific partner. I won't go into more detail until you've settled things with Hopps. The other officers will be our backup, in a sense."

Nick slid off his bed, intending to get his shirt and pants on, but realized things immediately felt a bit…breezy. A single glance down let him know that they had done more than remove his outer clothing while he had been unconscious, and he frantically yanked the sheets over his lower half.

"A little privacy maybe?" he asked, tying the sheet at his waist like a towel.

Snow let out a small snort, and stayed where she was. "Nothing I haven't seen before on far better built foxes, Wilde. Besides, who do you think had to get you changed? Harry likely would have hurt himself lifting and moving you. I had to strip you down and set the scene to convince others you were dead. If you think a nude fox—especially an unconscious and drooling one—is enough to startle me, you have a great deal of education ahead of you."

Nick sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "I just want to let you know I'm really not okay with any of that. I'm a little shy when it comes to that sort of thing. I can stroll around the Oasis without a problem, but if I'm supposed to be naked, too, I get all kinds of self-conscious."

"You need to get over it," Snow said, handing him his shirt and pants. "Our line of work requires absolute comfort with any situation. I took plenty of pictures while you were unconscious to help you get used to others seeing you naked. They will be posted throughout the ZBI headquarters. It's a routine training exercise to help recruits learn not to care so much. Surprisingly, it's the males who are usually most worried about the _little_ things in their lives."

"I am not… You're messing with me. Little…I get it now." Snow kept her usual emotionless expression. "And here I thought you had no sense of humor. Well done, agent."

Snow finally smiled, as she passed him his boxer shorts. "I'll let you get to your morning plans. I simply ask that you keep a low profile until we speak again. Faking a death once is easy, but doing it twice the same week is nearly impossible. Come back here when things are settled. Take too long, and there will be no one here to greet you."

Nick agreed, and set to dressing himself as best he could with the sheet still on. Once his boxers were in place and his tail through the back hole, he tossed the sheet aside and picked up his pants and shirt. From the corner of his eye, he saw Snow was still in the room and watching him. She was nearly as sneaky as Finnick, which let him know he needed to keep an eye on her.

"Something else I can help you with, agent?"

Snow smiled again, stepping most of the way through the door, so only her head lingered a second longer as she said, "I may not have been joking about the pictures."

Nick chuckled, and waited until Snow had closed the door before pulling on the clothes he had been wearing the morning he had attacked Harry in the precinct. A few stray blood stains still marred his sweatpants, but when he gave a brief sniff, he caught the hint of something chemical.

"Fake blood," he said, grinning. "Leave it to me to get played by yet another bunny. These two are going to give me trust issues."

Picking up a small bag with the rest of his belongings, Nick put aside his wallet and keys, digging to the bottom of the bag for his cell phone. He soon found it, but the battery was dead. Someone had not thought to turn it off before putting it in storage.

"Looks like I'm hiking home." Nick slid his things into his pockets and stood up, his legs a little shakier than he would have liked. A few days in bed had apparently already done some damage. He stayed where he was until he was reasonably certain he could walk without falling.

Nick's first surprise when he got moving was that the door out of the room was not locked. Despite Snow's claim he could go see Judy, he had half expected it to be a lie. The second surprise was once he left the room, there were no guards. In fact, there was no one. The whole walk from his room and through the complex—given that he did not know where he was going, he ended up circling the place twice—he saw not one mammal.

Eventually, Nick made it onto the front steps of the building, where he stopped long enough to memorize the street address and look of the area, so he could find his way back. Once he did, it began to sink in that it was barely dawn, with a gorgeous pink tint to the sky as the sun rose behind the hills west of town.

"A good day to be alive," he said to himself, smiling with his paws in his pockets, taking in the colors. He was not certain he had ever really paid attention to such things before meeting Judy, but the world was always fresh and new with her in his life. This time, the colors of the sky reminded him of the shirt she had worn the day she had come back from Bunnyburrow, and dragged him begrudgingly back into her life to go after the maker of the Night Howler serum.

For all his passing thoughts of Judy, Nick realized he was stalling in going to see her. He had been declared dead, after all, and he had no idea how she would take that news. Walking in on her was going to be rough, no matter how well-received. He had to be ready for her to have a meltdown, and possibly pass out. He also had to be ready for _him_ to have a meltdown, and pass out.

A touch of guilt over hiding his rebirth from his mother crossed his mind, but Nick knew it was not a battle worth fighting. If she was safer thinking he was gone, so be it. He would watch over her from a distance until he could tell her the truth. He had done it before and he would again. It broke his heart to think of the grief she had gone through, but for the time being it was better to let that be.

Steeling himself for the emotional day he was likely to have, Nick set off for the nearest main street, where he flagged down a passing taxi. Within minutes, he was on his way home, his mind racing through all the things he would say to Judy, and how he could make up for his death to her. He had no doubt she was going to make him read her romance novels or watch cheesy movies, but he was up for anything at this point. Hell, he would have accepted being put in a dress on a street-corner if it meant reuniting with Judy.

Nick reached the apartment a little after seven in the morning, and stood on the sidewalk for several more minutes trying to decide what he would say upon walking through the door. The initial shock of him coming home would be tempered by how he presented himself, so that first impression was going to mean a lot.

"Just wing it, stupid," he mumbled, taking out his keys and walking into the building. "She'll forgive any dumb thing you say…eventually. After the initial freak-out, expect her to punch you repeatedly for scaring her."

Nick went to their apartment and paused with his key in the lock. He had not even considered Judy was probably already at work, if she had gone in. There was a good chance he was coming home to an empty apartment, and would have to wait to see her. Given that he was not supposed to announce himself to others, he could not swing by the precinct to surprise her, either. If that were the case, he fully intended to have the grandest meal ever waiting for her when she came back. Maybe even a fox wrapped in nothing more than a bow as a surprise.

Grumbling at the idea of waiting, Nick put his ear to the door, hoping he would hear some indication Judy was home. Faintly, he heard gentle snoring, as well as water running. He was not sure why she would have water going while sleeping, but the combination was a nice confirmation she had not gone into work. He would get to see his love right away.

Nick turned the key and opened the apartment door. It did not take him more than one sniff before he realized something was seriously wrong. The couch had blankets on it, with the small outline of a bunny under them. He could smell Fangmeyer having been in the place recently—odd in and of itself—but also someone else. From down the hall, he could hear the shower running. There were two mammals in his apartment, not counting himself.

Before Nick could sort out what exactly was going on, the bunny on the couch rolled over and poked _his_ head out of the blankets to stare directly at Nick. They locked eyes for a while, with Nick still holding the door partway open, as the buck slowly pulled the blankets up over his muzzle and nose, right up to his lower eyelids.

"J…Jud…Judy!" the buck stammered, sounding as if he was trying to scream for help, but too shocked or scared to get any volume behind it. "Burglar!"

Nick snarled and moved away from the open door, as he threw his keys onto small table near the window. An empty vodka bottle on that table caught his eye, but he made himself ignore it. "Get out. This is my apartment."

The bunny watched him with abject horror. "It's…uh…Judy's apartment. Officer Judy."

"Yeah, both of ours, really," Nick explained, feeling too hurt to even form any clear thoughts. "I'm her boyfriend, or was. We'll see when I figure out what's going on here. You should go. Quickly."

Squeaking, the buck frantically pulled on clothing under the blankets, before dashing out of the apartment faster than Nick had ever seen a bunny move. Once the distant pattering of his paws disappeared down the hall, Nick closed the door, and moved to stand in the center of his front room trying to decide what to do.

Nick walked around the room, trying to find answers he was not sure he should have. He knew he would get the full story once Judy was out of the shower, but he had to brace himself for the worst. She thought he was dead, so as angry as he was, he could not entirely blame her. In her place, he would have felt enormous pressure from his mother and brother to date immediately. Had she done…something…he was saddened, but did not blame her. She had accepted and forgiven his mistakes with Silvia, and he would accept anything here. There might be some strain to their relationship for a while, but he intended to do his utmost to forgive and forget.

Near the television, Nick found the empty DVD case for Planet of the Apes—Judy's favorite documentary about one of the few unevolved mammal species of the world, which she often used for background noise. Near it was a nearly empty bowl of popcorn and two dry cups that smelled of strong alcohol. Whoever the buck was, he had stayed the night and watched movies with Judy. If alcohol had been involved, Nick had little doubt Judy had been cuddly, if not far worse. After a few drinks, she was usually at her most amorous.

 _Not a good sign at all_ , he thought, rubbing the beginnings of tears from the edges of his eyes. _After Silvia, I owe it to her not to jump to conclusions. Hear her out. Even if she did…if he…if they were together, let her make her own choices. If she wants to stay with him, just hold it together until you can get out of here, Nick. It'll be that much easier to help out the ZBI. If she comes back to you, let whatever happened here go. She didn't know. Don't blame her, no matter what she did. Don't let her see that anything gets to you._

Nick paced slowly around, until he heard the shower turn off, and the fur drier come on. In that instant, a silly plan came to mind. He climbed onto the couch, and pulled the blankets completely over himself. Given that it was his apartment, his scent would not give him away, and with the way one could sink into the couch's cushions, she would only see the size difference if she looked carefully.

Soon, he heard the door to the bathroom open, and soft pawfalls came down the hallway. Nick slid a little further under the blankets, hoping he had himself hidden well enough. With luck, this would be a happy surprise for her, and not stop her heart. Either way, it was his nature to tease, and in the middle of heartache was no different.

"Darren," Judy said, sounding half asleep yet. "While I really do appreciate—"

The blankets were slid down a few inches, ostensibly so Judy could look the buck in the eyes, but Nick found himself staring her in the face, as she froze, eyes as wide as they would go and nose twitching frantically.

"Hey hon," Nick said, trying to sound entirely calm, despite the lingering questions and his own racing heart. "I have some good news and some questions."

"You…you're alive?" Judy asked, her ears slowly rising. "They said you… We had a funeral… I don't understand. Your ashes are on the kitchen counter in a metal vase. How are you here?"

Nick tossed aside the blankets and sat up in front of Judy, though that left him looking down at her standing on the floor, with only a towel around herself. "I don't know why you're keeping my remains in the kitchen, but in case you missed the memo, the ZBI lies. A lot. I can explain, but we have some other things we need to discuss—"

Before Nick could finish the sentence, Judy leapt onto the couch, and then onto his lap, kissing him quickly and repeatedly across his muzzle and neck. Each time he tried to open his mouth to speak, she kissed him again, until his fears began to subside, and he wrapped his arms around her, clinging tightly as she poked and prodded at his fur with her fingers, as though trying to prove to herself he was really there.

"Fluff, can we… I like that but please… Stop with the… Judy!" Nick finally blurted out, turning his head to stop her from interrupting him with her mouth. "One question, then you can do that all you want."

Judy pawed at his neck, nodding in agreement, though he was not certain at first she had heard him. When she finally looked up, she swallowed hard and put both paws on his chest before speaking so quickly he had trouble keeping up. "Nick, whatever you think happened, you're wrong. I needed someone to talk to, that's all. I got drunk and cried for over an hour, nothing more. We cuddled, then I panicked and called it off. Call it a date if you want, but it wasn't anything serious and definitely nothing you need to worry about. I know you probably won't believe me—"

Nick kissed Judy, cutting her off the way she had done to him. Soon, she had her arms around his neck, clinging as they lingered. At length, he ended the kiss and smiled broadly at her. "I believe you. I'll always believe you, because you're one of the few mammals I trust. You say he was just a friend staying over to talk, then that's all he was. I won't ever bring him up again."

"He was just someone to talk to. When I say it wasn't serious, I mean that by your standards, not just bunnies'. Please don't pretend you're okay if you aren't. We didn't… I didn't…"

"Fluff, I'm not kidding. I believe you. It's done and past. I don't care what happened."

Judy kissed the edge of his mouth, and then lay her cheek down on his chest, near his heart. "I'm so glad you're back, Nick. These have been some of the most difficult days of my whole life."

Nick brushed gently at the fur behind her ears, getting the shiver he was hoping for. "I wasn't awake for most of it, unfortunately. I'm sorry for whatever they put you through. If there's any way I can make it up to you, name it."

Lifting her head, Judy gave him a malicious smile, as her ears flattened back. "You smell like anesthetic and dirty fox. Let's remedy that."

"That's pretty low on my list of priorities, Fluff. We should talk about what happened."

Squirming a little to get her paws positioned, Judy tossed aside the towel she had been wearing, leaving her naked against him. She slid her other paw onto his upper thigh. An abrupt but subtle shift in her scent left little doubt about what she was hoping for. So much for having that talk anytime soon. "You sure, Nick? I'm fairly sure I forgot to shampoo somewhere."

"You bunnies. Always so…" Nick gasped and nearly lost his thoughts as Judy both bit at the side of his neck, and began untying the knot that held his sweatpants up. "Let's go with 'eager.' Wow. Missed you, too."

"Start moving, Slick," she whispered near his ear, as she slid one paw into his pants. Neither the arm around his neck nor the other paw were giving any hint of being willing to let go. He had almost forgotten how soft her paw fur was, especially on sensitive parts. "Either it's the shower or it's here. Your pick. Unless you're not in the mood."

"Whatever you want," he said, picking her up and carrying her toward the shower. "I'm going to have to stop using the phrase, 'You'll be the death of me,' aren't I?"


	4. Chapter 4

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.1 – Change in Direction

 **August 20** **th** **, Friday Morning – Savanah Central**

Nick woke happier than he could remember. Despite having slept through much of the last few days, including his own death and funeral, reuniting with Judy had been both exhilarating and exhausting. She had been all but unwilling to let him leave her sight since he had come in the prior morning. The night, they had gotten stuck together for the first time after a particularly amorous session, which had been far more amusing to Nick than to Judy—and nearly traumatic to her, until he had managed to calm her down and explain. That and the shower aside, they had spent far more time cuddling than anything else, including talking. More than once, she had explained how having physical contact, whether it be leaning against him, having one paw touching him, or tackling him onto the bed was a reassurance he was real. The one line in the sand he had been forced to draw was when she tried following him into the bathroom. A fox needed to be able to pee in private.

To his surprise, when he opened his eyes, Judy was no longer in sight. Given her clinginess since his return, it was a bit shocking, though he could still smell her nearby. After a moment, he could hear her in the kitchen, humming to herself.

Rolling onto his side, Nick winced as every muscle in his back and hips flared painfully. Several days being "dead" had weakened him considerably, and Judy had been far from timid about showing her affection when they had woken up during the night. With all that he already needed to explain to her about what had happened, he did not really want to add explaining to Snow how he had pulled groin muscles in less than a day after being let go.

Nick slid off the bed and gave himself a moment for his legs to steady before he put all his weight on his hind paws. He soon realized he had not only worn out his muscles, but Judy had managed to scratch him in a dozen spots, despite having claws barely long enough to get through his fur. None hurt and were little worse than having used too stiff of a fur brush, but they were noticeable. Parting his fur, he found several very shallow scrapes. How she had managed it, he could not guess.

 _Have to hide those from her after her reaction when Silvia tore me up with her claws_ , he thought, smoothing his fur over the scratches. _Judy would be horrified if she thought she hurt me. And here I worried I'd be the one to hurt her. Bunnies are a never ending fountain of surprises._

From the kitchen, Nick picked up the scent of something delicious being cooked. He raised his arms and stretched to get some of the strain out of his back, and then slid on some boxer shorts before making his way out of the bedroom.

Judy was focused on her work when Nick reached the kitchen, moving across the wide stool she kept in front of the stove. She had several things cooking at once, and appeared to be struggling to keep up with everything. As much as Nick wanted to jump right in and help, he could not manage to do so right away when he realized she was wearing nothing more than an apron, and her tail was wiggling excitedly as she bounced to a song in her head. The distraction was far too much to ignore.

"Cooking dressed like that is a good way to get yourself burned…and make a silly fox distract you while breakfast is ruined." He leaned against the doorway, smiling as he looked over his lover. She stopped dancing and kept silent, grinning at her cooking instead of acknowledging him, though a fresh tail wiggle let him know she did hear him. "I don't know about you, but that looks like way too much food. I'm hungry, sure, but are you planning to feed half your family?"

"No. Just for us," she replied, without looking back. He would likely not admit it out loud, but the white side of her tail was enticing, especially when she was not dressed, allowing him to follow the color across her backside and inner thighs with his eyes. "I haven't been eating well lately, and I decided to make a big meal. I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I made a little of everything, though at the rate I've been craving water, I can't imagine why I'm still this hungry."

Wandering over to stand beside her, Nick studied the array of things on the stovetop. In one pan were scrambled eggs—mostly burned, as she had never cooked those before, and really had no idea what she was doing with them. A skillet nearby held pancakes, which were nearly ready to flip, while a plate near the stove was already stacked with finished pancakes. In the oven itself, he could smell a kale and tomato quiche.

"Are those…blueberry?" he asked, eyeing the pancakes.

"Sure are," Judy answered, grinning ear to ear. "I think the eggs are almost done, too."

Nick slid over to Judy's other side and took over the pan with the eggs. He lifted it off the heat and poked at the eggs with a spatula, wishing he had come out of the bedroom a minute or two earlier. Lightly burned or not, it was fairly rare he got to have eggs or chicken, so it was still a treat. He quickly slid the crispy eggs onto a nearby plate, while tickling the tip of Judy's tail with his free paw.

"Don't start that, Slick," she warned, flipping the pancakes. "We really should eat before we hide in bed for a while. Last night was a bit of a surprise, and I don't really want that to be a one-time thing."

Nick grinned and began pulling silverware from the nearby drawer. "Not tired anymore. I don't think I'll want to sleep for some time. Three or four days of being unconscious will do that to you."

"Who said anything about sleeping?"

"Some of us do need a break once in a while," he reminded her, before kissing her on the cheek.

"You're the one who's dating a bunny. Deal with the consequences. I apologize for nothing."

As he laughed, Nick looked down at Judy's neckline, and saw she was wearing the locket he had intended to give her as a gift for her birthday. "Hey, where'd you find the necklace? I was saving that."

Judy turned her head just enough to squint at him, as she cocked her hips. "You were dead. Any right to privacy went out the window. I found it, it had my name on it, it's mine. I reserve the right to show off things my fox wanted to give me, even if he's not around anymore. Might I remind you, you were in a vase on the shelf, so you didn't get a say when I took a vote."

"I die and you rifle through my belongings? Even Finnick would have waited a couple days. That's just not right, Carrots. At least let me be dead a week before going through things."

"Oh, let's not start that," Judy warned, grinning as she went back to cooking. "I found your secret stash of old porn magazines, too. Those went straight into the trash, in case you're wondering. Only porn in this apartment is going to be interspecies."

"What porn magazines?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Don't pretend you don't look at porn. I've seen some of your search history, including on your work computer. Most of it's flattering, but I won't have magazines in this place flaunting something I can't live up to. Imagine what would happen if my parents or one of my siblings found that. Cotton would have most of her fur fall out in shock at what I saw in the first few seconds."

Nick opened his mouth to reply, closed it, and then opened it again, still searching for words. "Fluff…I didn't… No, that's not true. I _don't_ have a secret porn stash. All my vixen porn got lit on fire the day you agreed to move in with me. The bunny porn isn't exactly secret, since I keep showing you things I find to embarrass you, or to look for ideas. So what magazines are you talking about, and where did you find them? Anything I kept was hardly hidden."

"Half dozen dusty magazines in the cabinet, back behind the last of the alcohol," she explained, her ear tips turning slightly red. She never was able to handle discussing anything kinky without blushing, even if it was just the two of them. This time, with her wearing so little, he actually noticed the blush line ran right down her back, though it was hard to see through her fur.

"What kind of magazines we talking about?"

Judy turned fully to stare at him as though he were insane. "You think I read them? You're lucky I was willing to touch them. I opened the front cover, and realized what I was holding, so they went right into the trash."

"Well, what species was on the cover? Those kind of magazines aren't exactly bait-and-switch. Trust me when I say, if a magazine has a hippo on the cover, they'll get a lot of angry letters from hippos if the contents are all zebras. What's inside is the same as the outside, just less clothes."

Huffing, Judy poured a fresh batch of pancake batter onto the skillet. "Wolves, I think. I was trying not to pay too much attention."

"Worried they might turn you on?" he asked, nuzzling Judy's neck, knowing that would keep her from being too annoyed at his teasing. "Besides, no one living here was ever attracted to wolves. I mean, I dated one as a teenager, but that lasted maybe a week."

"I don't know!" she blurted out. With her spatula, she pointed toward the trash. "They're probably still in there. No matter how much you argue, they're going out the next time I head to the dumpster. And no, they didn't turn me on. They made me feel really lonely."

Grinning, Nick went to the trash and dug down past eggshells and empty liquor bottles, until he reached the stack of magazines. Right on the cover, a lithe coyote was posed in what some might call a seductive pose—not Nick, but others might. Picking the magazine out of the trash, Nick flipped it open and held up the centerfold toward Judy.

"That's a coyote," he said, pointing at the page.

Judy looked up, before cringing and squeezing her eyes shut. "Ewww, Nick!"

"Coyote female at that," he added, trying not to laugh, so he could pretend he was not tormenting her. He turned to another page. "I can point out the genitals, if you're confused. If you want, I can go through all the physical differences from a fox. Okay, fine. I'm not holding up that page anymore. You're safe now."

Judy opened her eyes, then closed them again, grimacing. "Nick! That one's not any better!"

"The one on top is a male coyote," he explained, trying very hard to sound serious and educational. "The one on the bottom…and the one helping…are female. I know they all look the same to a bunny."

"I can tell the genders just fine when they're naked!" she snapped, turning back to the stove. The way she flicked her ears forward over her shoulders let him know she really wanted to tug on them like she did when she was really uncomfortable.

"You said you couldn't tell they were coyotes before. I'm helping. Want me to point out more helpful things in the picture? I can narrate if you want. Maybe explain what all the parts are used for? See the way the fur lays around the inner thighs? That helps draw the eye."

"Noooo," whined Judy, shifting a little on the stool so she could not see the picture even from the corner of her eyes. "Please throw that out. I don't know how you can look at that stuff."

"I don't look at this stuff. They're coyotes…that's all Finnick. Not my scene. Besides, I don't know how you can be standing there naked, in front of your fox boyfriend, after practically mauling him in bed, but you can't look at a nude picture without getting all blushy. Heck, we've done this. Well, without a bystander."

"That's not the point!" she snapped, using one of her ears as a shield against seeing him or the magazine. "And if that's Finnick's, I'm even more grossed out, and want to go wash my paws in lye."

Moving a little closer, Nick said, "Glad you don't feel that way touching me, or we'd have some real problems with last night. Now, what bothers you so much about these? How do they make you feel?"

When Nick held up the magazine where Judy could see, she squeaked and ducked her head. There was only so much she could do to hide, without leaving the pancakes to burn. "Stop it! Nudity and sex kind of freak me out, okay? I'm fine with being involved, but seeing it otherwise startles me. I know, I know, I'm the worst bunny ever, and my siblings have made sure to tell me that a thousand times."

"What if the pictures were of us?" Nick asked, finally tossing the magazine back into the trash.

"I…I have no idea," she admitted, slowly looking up at him. There was nervousness in her tone, but curiosity in her eyes. "I might be more okay with that. As long as we're the only ones seeing them. It might help me get over this complex."

"Good to hear. I'll get printouts of all the pictures right away."

Judy nearly dropped the spatula, and stared at him with unabashed horror. "You didn't!"

"You're right, I didn't take pictures." Nick leaned on the counter, grinning at her. "Pictures are so last decade. I rely entirely on video. I'm not really good at it. I think I mostly got your tail in the last one." The horror turned sharply toward mouth-hanging panic, and Nick began to worry Judy might run and hide. "Kidding! There's no videos, and no pictures we can't show your parents. You worry too much, Fluff."

Judy steadied her breathing, then smacked Nick on the arm with the spatula. "Go away and let me cook, before I have a panic attack and burn the whole place down."

"I really can't believe you never looked at porn," Nick muttered, mostly to himself, as he watched her cook a little longer, ignoring her request to go away. "I probably should have guessed after the naturalist club, though. Like, not even once in a while?"

"No," Judy snapped, looking side-to-side nervously. Somehow, she had not figured out she had such an obvious tell. With luck, it would last years, letting him learn the answers to almost anything if he pushed hard enough. "I really never looked at bunny porn willingly, despite my sisters trying hard to make me. Every time they turned it on, I ended up curled into a ball, covering my eyes. I just got so embarrassed at how it made me feel…"

Grinning, Nick leaned in a little closer. "Didn't watch _bunny_ porn. Right. Somebunny is getting her browser history checked. What're the odds I'm finding fox porn on there?"

"I…um… You know I looked up some things before we got together!" Judy said, bouncing a little as she grabbed his arm to stop him, even though he never attempted to leave. "No need to check!"

"I'll only find some tasteful nudes for research purposes, eh?"

Judy's ears went up, and Nick could see the blush spreading all the way to her nose. "Yes?"

"You're still an awful liar. Anything good on there? Something we haven't tried?"

"I know, no, and maybe? Dammit, Nick. Go sit down. I don't want to burn the food while I defend my use of fox porn to know what I was getting into."

"Two questions, then I'll drop it for now," he purred at her.

Judy sighed and rubbed her muzzle. "Okay. Two questions, then you go away."

"First, what did you mean 'use'? Second, are you implying there's been no new stuff added since we got together?"

The panic came right back onto Judy's face. "I…I mean…it was for research, so that first question doesn't need an answer. Um…as for the other…relationships are…uh…constantly needing work…so…there might be a little bit lately."

"How much while I was dead?"

"More than I want to admit," she answered, sadly. "I might have spent more than my fair share of time watching fox videos after drinking. We're absolutely not going to talk about what I did in private while you were gone."

"And did you _use_ those for research?"

"No, I wasn't usually in the mood to…hey! Go sit down!"

Laughing, Nick took the eggs over to the small table they rarely used in the corner of the kitchen. By the time he came back to the stove, Judy had the last batch of pancakes stacked on a plate, leaving just the quiche for her to bring over when it was done. Even with just the pancakes and eggs on the table, Nick wondered how many mammals Judy was planning to cook for. She had made twice as many pancakes as they normally ate if that was all they had for breakfast, in addition to the other items.

"Fluff, if you're pregnant, you know you can tell me, right?" he asked, making sure the way he said it made it abundantly clear he was teasing. "That's a _lot_ of food."

When Nick turned back around, he found Judy was staring at the open oven, as though she had forgotten why she had oven mitts on. She stayed perfectly still a bit longer, before grabbing the quiche and moving it to the stovetop.

"Nick…I didn't… He wasn't here to replace you," she whispered, sitting down abruptly on the floor. "I know we can't have kits, but there's no one else…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Nick blurted out, practically diving to Judy's side on his knees, to wrap her in a tight hug. "Joking. Absolutely joking. I didn't know that was a touchy subject. I swear I won't bring it up again. Kits are off the list of things I can torment you about."

Judy nodded into his shoulder, and from what little he could see of her face, she was definitely on the verge of tears. "I know you're joking, and it's not usually a sore topic. I'm not looking to have kits right now, by any stretch of the imagination. After losing you, I really started reevaluating my whole life, including that topic."

"And what changed?"

"Absolutely nothing," she answered. "I still wanted you there. The idea of being that close with anyone else was a little revolting, to be honest. I know you were kidding, but I still worry you thought I was trying to find someone else, and if that someone else was a bunny…"

"Stop that line of thought right now." Nick stroked at Judy's ears, trying to calm her down. "I'm not even remotely considering having kits today. I know what I signed up for, and I have no regrets."

"I do sometimes," she admitted, burying her face in his shoulder. "It's not an easy topic with things how they are and a family like mine."

"We have a nice breakfast waiting for us. Food always helps. We'll talk about this another time."

Helping Judy to her paws, Nick led her to her chair, before going back for the quiche. When he came back to the table, she already had a pancake half-eaten.

"You weren't kidding about food helping," she said, once she had devoured the pancake. "Especially when you're a dumb bunny who hasn't been eating right."

"Skipped a few meals because of work?"

Judy paused with her paw over the stack of pancakes. "Work? That was some of it, sure."

Nick did not even need to call upon years of hustling to see what Judy was avoiding talking about. "So what was making you skip meals, and how many? You looked half-starved when I got in yesterday, and your nose was cracking from being so dry. I couldn't help but notice you've been drinking water almost constantly since I got in. You got sick last night after just water."

Staring at him as though cornered—which she sort of was in the small kitchen—Judy's ears were high and nose twitching nervously. "I missed a few meals."

"How many?"

"I ate Saturday," she offered, giving him a sheepish grin. "And part of a nutrient shake on Tuesday."

Nick regarded her with more than a little shock. "You went over four days without eating anything? I thought bunnies had to eat pretty regularly or they got sick. I mean, I'd be sick after that long, and I always heard bunnies were far more sensitive to missing a meal. How were you still standing?"

The attempt at silliness faded sharply, and Judy looked away, refusing to meet his worried stare.

Nick tried again to add some levity. "You mean you ate very little? I'm giving you an out here. Play along."

Reaching across the table, Judy snatched two more pancakes, before turning her attention to the quiche. "I was really scared. I am a dumb bunny at heart, Nick. You died—or whatever—and I had some trouble adjusting. I'm fine now…and really hungry."

Leaning back in his chair, Nick watched as Judy ravenously ate breakfast, pointedly not looking at him. "Is this why you haven't even asked what happened? You don't want to touch the topic?"

Mouth full of quiche, she finally stopped and lifted her gaze to just barely meet his eyes. "Yeth?"

"We need to talk about this, Carrots. I missed a lot, and have a lot to tell you. Besides…been meaning to ask why you aren't at work."

Judy growled softly, though the sound was almost comical with her mouth full. She finished eating what she had already stuffed her face with, then sat back to watch Nick. "I'm not at work because I got suspended. I stopped eating and drinking because I got sick every time I did…and no, that's not usually a sign a bunny is pregnant, before you ask, since that already came up."

"What is it a sign of? And suspended?"

"A sign of nothing I want to talk about," she snapped, before sliding another pancake onto her plate, and scooping a bit more quiche alongside it. "I'm better now, and that's what matters. I got suspended because I was a little cranky and took it out on a suspect. You want to explain why I saw your dead body, attended your funeral, and have been thinking my boyfriend died for the better part of a week?"

"The usual reasons. The ZBI lied. I was injected with something to make me pass out, then when you came by, they stopped my heart for a few minutes to trick you. Since then, I've been in an induced coma while they did whatever they wanted to my poor sexy unconscious self. I'm turning it into a screenplay for daytime soap operas, but Dogs of Our Lives already covered most of it, so I'm having to get creative."

Judy stopped eating and studied his face, as though expecting him to be exaggerating every aspect of his story. When she finally seemed to have convinced herself, she looked around the room, ears turning about.

"What are you looking for?" Nick asked, while Judy eyed one of the cabinets near the fridge.

"Alcohol, to deal with hearing more about the ZBI, and what Snow might have done with or to you," she replied, before easing back down onto her chair. "But I know there isn't any."

"There was enough to keep us both drunk for a day or two in that cabinet when I left. Vodka, rum, whiskey, a half dozen partial bottles of schnapps…"

Judy's ears sank and she lowered her head to eat a few bites just over her plate before answering in a faint whisper. "I drank it all."

"All?"

"All. Spent most of one night up vomiting."

Nick leaned over the table and touched Judy's cheek with his paw. "I know how much was up there. You could have killed yourself. Promise me you won't do something like that again, if we're ever in this situation again."

"Then don't die," she replied curtly, nibbling at her quiche. "Ever. I still feel all twisted up inside. In fact, don't ever leave me without warning again. I wasn't ready for that."

"No one ever is." He kissed the top of her head, then sat back down. "That's part of what I need to talk to you about. The ZBI has asked for my help after a great many apologies, and I want to accept, but won't without your blessing. This is about keeping our families safe, and I know you'll argue—"

"That's fine," Judy said, still shoving food in her mouth between replies. "I thought they'd ask at least one of us. After I beat down Snow, I thought it through, and knew it was coming. I realized they were testing us, but thought things went off-track with you."

Nick set aside his fork, the eggs all but forgotten. "You're fine with it?"

"Yup."

"It would mean I'd go into the agency and disappear for a while. Maybe forever. You just said not to do that."

"Sure did," Judy answered, not looking up. A smile teased the edges of her mouth.

Nick stayed silent a minute, hoping Judy would reason her way through the discussion and speak up, but she did not. "I don't want to leave…"

"Then don't."

"This is about protecting our families. Responsibility and all that."

"I know."

"Then why aren't you arguing? You said I shouldn't leave, but you're okay with me taking this job?"

"Yup," she said again, this time grinning at her plate. Slowly, she looked up at him. "You're not going without me. It's that simple. You accept the job, and we both go. Someone's gotta watch out for a dumb fox. If you try and go anywhere with Snow and not me, she is getting beaten soundly. When I find out you did it on purpose, you're next."

Nick huffed and tried to put on his best authoritative demeanor. "No, you aren't going. I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"That goes both ways, Slick. I'll stall on getting offended that you think you can even try to tell me what to do. Care to try again?"

"We could get killed."

"Lot more likely if you go without me. Heck, if you did go without me, I might kill you myself when you get back."

"Judy, I want you to stay here. The ZBI is going after Rolen in his homeland. That's no place for—"

The fork Judy held came down on the plate hard enough she nearly knocked it onto the floor. "Excuse me? If the next four words out of your mouth are 'a cute little bunny', I will come across the table and remind you who wins every time we have ZPD sparring."

"No. That's not what I was going to say." Nick fidgeted, realizing he would have been better able to argue his way out of that phrase than what he was about to say. "Let's go with 'my girlfriend.' I can't be out there worried about you."

"We'll be able to protect each other. If you go without me, I'm the one worrying if my boyfriend is dead in a ditch. I'm not going to back down from this, Nick. Now, what were you _really_ about to blurt out? The last time you looked this embarrassed, you said you loved me for the first time."

"Let's let it drop." Nick picked up his plate to take it to the sink, then reached for the pan of quiche, only to have Judy nearly stab him with her fork. "Okay, I'll leave the food."

"Spit it out!" Judy demanded, hopping off the chair and putting her paws on her hips. She had apparently forgotten she was naked other than her apron, utterly destroying the confrontational demeanor. "What awful thing did you almost let slip? What possible phrase could justify you thinking you can do this without me?"

Nick sighed and set the plate he held onto the counter near the sink. Turning back to Judy, he let his tail hit the floor and ears sink, knowing the next word out of his mouth could either start a far bigger fight, or lead to a million other questions. "Mate. I was about to say mate. Happy? I know that's a slip-up. That's twice I've said it. We've only been together a month or so, and you didn't want anything too serious, so that was really presumptuous of me. We didn't even talk about officially saying boyfriend and girlfriend. There've been no proposals, so saying the m-word was wrong of me. I'll be more caref—"

Judy's leap nearly took Nick off his paws when she slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. A second later, she jumped up and kissed his cheek, and when she landed, she grabbed his paw and pulled him toward the door of the kitchen.

"I don't understand," he admitted, digging in his hind paws, though on the kitchen linoleum, Judy was able to drag him slowly. "Aren't you mad?"

"Another day, maybe," she answered, tugging harder. This time, he let her lead him from the room. "For now, let's call this me saying 'no' to that little proposal, but being _really_ flattered. Now help me out of this apron."

"I…what? I didn't actually propose, Fluff. Your family would probably either kill me, or we'd be starting over with the taser. It was just a slip of the tongue."

"I'm well aware, which is why I'm not holding you to it right now. Now what you do with that tongue from here on out is up to you. Or we can cuddle. I don't care."

Nick felt himself blushing to his ear tips, but there was no stopping her once she had her mind set on something. Resigning himself to being far more exhausted the next time he escaped the bedroom, he followed his favorite cotton tail.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.2 – Change in Direction

 **August 20** **th** **, Friday Late Afternoon – ZBI Safe House #14, Outer Canal District**

"You can still turn back," Nick said softly, as they stood on the sidewalk out front of the same building where Judy had gone to see his "corpse" the previous weekend.

"Are you talking to yourself, or to me?" she asked, walking a few steps farther. She felt far more nervous than she was ready to let on to him. The painful grumbling of her stomach still adjusting to eating only made matters worse. Adding to that was the nagging fear that she was going to wind up "dead" the same way he had.

"Both?" he replied, swallowing. "Having some second thoughts about going after that bear again. He nearly killed us both the last time."

Judy rolled her eyes and grabbed his paw, leading him forward, albeit slowly. "I'll take really good care of you. We're partners. I wouldn't let one little bear hurt my fox."

"Little bear?" he asked, looking down at her as though she were crazy. "That bear is big enough to wrestle Bogo. He _did_ wrestle Bogo. If he hadn't been shot first, he would have won."

"So you need a bunny to help you. I know the routine." Judy tugged at his arm again, and this time Nick reluctantly followed her up the steps of the building.

Together, they made their way in the front door, down the entry hall, and into the first large room, which had been empty when Judy had been there the last time. Now, two chairs had been set up, and both Agent Harry and Agent Snow sat in them, as though Nick and Judy were expected and scheduled visitors. At their approach, Snow set aside a small book she had been reading.

"I told you they would both come," Harry declared, and Judy wondered if he was calling in a wager. "This settles everything."

Snow's nose wiggled as she sniffed the air. "I don't know if they both came, but they certainly were involved in trying recently. That aside, are you two both here to assist the ZBI, or are we about to get a lecture or physical attack from one or both about our methods?"

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but Judy squeezed his paw and he relented immediately.

"We're here to ask a lot of questions and maybe assist," she answered for them both. "Don't even begin to think I've forgiven the two of you for making me think he died, or what Harry did to me. We'll deal with that later. What Nick's told me is enough to buy you some time before I come after you. For now, I want to know what you're planning, and how you think we fit in. Why do all of this? Why lie and manipulate us? Why think we wouldn't just turn on you?"

Harry turned his head to look at Snow, effectively deferring to her.

"Right now, Rolen is taking a few stolen vehicles southward, often avoiding main roads and trails," she explained, crossing her legs and steepling her fingers as she spoke. "He has days lead on us, but we have plenty of time before he'll reach his own lands, given his route and the delays we've placed on that road, including one particularly expensive detour which will add several hundred miles to his trip. Our saboteurs are very good at what they do. We intend to take a crew of skilled agents south to intercept him. Failing that, we intend to take those agents into his lands and infiltrate his government, until we can reach him. We will bring him back, or kill him outright. This all must be done before the schematics he stole are handed over to researchers in that region. If we fail to stop the handover, things get far messier and complicated. Let's not get to that point."

Judy released Nick's paw, and moved farther into the room. "You want the two of us to help you do all that? You know we're not trained for that kind of operation, right? Go collect your agents."

"Of course we know you aren't trained," Snow replied. "We also don't have time to train anyone. We needed mammals who are naturally good at the things we require. Wilde and I are both good at manipulating others and misleading, though like you, I actually prefer to follow the rules of our employer, even if my recent behavior hints otherwise. Harry has all of the information for infiltrating, some of which may require prey to succeed…and that is why we needed backup. Hopps, you will be the backup if Harry dies. As for our other agents…I'm not yet willing to explain why, but you will not be meeting any other ZBI agents anytime soon."

"Four against a country?" asked Nick, snorting. "That's even dumber than I expected."

"Eight against a country," Snow corrected. From beside her chair, she picked up a stack of folders. "Cannus, Spetz, Delgato, and Fangmeyer will be our unskilled assets. Their duty is to keep the four of us alive. All four have tentatively volunteered, though we have yet to give them the full story."

"There's absolutely no way Bogo agreed to this," Judy thought out loud.

"He did," Snow answered, without looking up. "Not that we gave him any choice in the matter. Judging by the sheer volume of complaints he's lodged with the ZBI main office, I would guess he has little else to do each day than try to find out why we overstepped our authority. He does, however, know that Nick is not dead. It was a concession I had to make to keep him from shooting Harry.

Judy looked around the room, really taking in the emptiness of it. She could smell the two tigers she had met in previous visits, as well as another mammal, but the place was far too large for so few agents. "If you don't have time to train anyone, why aren't you taking ZBI agents? Same with our escorts. You're better situated to handle this than the ZPD is. We're officers, not secret agents."

"True," Harry replied, finally joining the conversation. "Six months ago, the ZBI would have done this without even consulting the ZPD. In fact, I doubt we'd have even let you know it ever happened, the same way things went down during the overthrow of the Ursian family. We don't have that kind of influence anymore."

"Meaning what?" Judy asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Spit it out, or we both walk."

Snow and Harry exchanged stern stares, then Snow gave him a nod.

"Rolen did not begin with the ZPD," Harry said, sighing. "When he came to the city, he started getting his own agents planted throughout the region—Silvia, for example, lured in several of our agents, taking them right into a trap. His next action was to target our safe houses, like this one. We did not even know he was in the city until nearly two dozen agents were dead or seriously wounded. The first few attacks felt random. Merely criminals picking off agents who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He used that to collect weaponry, money, building plans, and other resources. Three of our safe houses were in his paws before we realized it, allowing him to monitor our movement in the city and plan his attacks on others—including the ZPD. We unwittingly armed him. Apparently, twenty years of our fellows picking off his agents gradually taught him much about our agency. We got sloppy."

"Are you two all that's left?" Nick demanded, sounding as annoyed as Judy felt.

Snow shook her head. "Nearly, but not quite. Six months ago, we had fifty full agents, a dozen trainees, and over one hundred employees including our bodyguards. That doesn't even get into how many paid informants we had around the globe. Right now, there are eight agents, along with about twenty guards and office staff. The two zebras Hopps met in Bunnyburrow are junior agents, but count among our eight, as are the last two members of one of our infiltration teams, which is actively stalling Rolen's return. She also met Milo Scurrin, though she believed him a suspect."

"The mouse lemur? Martin?" Judy asked, startled. "But he was arrested as part of the investigation."

"No, he was brought in by our agency as a training exercise." Snow smirked, cocking her head slightly. "You were being evaluated, even then. Bogo may not have liked the results, but they were necessary. It also gave us a more plausible way to get you away from the ZPD. If you doubt me, Milo is in the next room, working out some of our travel plans. I can call him in, if you like. The other lemur implicated by the stores we visited was in ZBI custody two weeks ago. She did steal the journals."

Judy growled a little, but forced herself to stop quickly. That was becoming a really bad habit. "Was anything about this real?"

Harry climbed down off his chair, and made his way over to Judy, making her instantly uncomfortable. She wanted to kick him squarely in the jaw, but that would probably not help her attempts to go with Nick on this adventure.

"Very little was real," Harry explained, lowering his ears and ducking his chin in what appeared to be embarrassment. "What happened at the shooting range—"

Judy closed both paws into fists, ready to pound the striped bastard into the floor. All she had to do was knock him down, and she could kick him unconscious before Snow reached them.

"—was completely set up. I disabled the cameras, and ensured the others would be gone. All of that has been filed in a temporarily-sealed report with the ZPD, which will clear you of any implications of wrongdoing and place blame squarely on me. Bogo knows about the report, but cannot access it until we leave for the mission. Where we're going, bunnies and most other prey are expected to be submissive no matter what. A bunny from there would not have resisted much at all. I'm not certain what I would have done if you hadn't resisted, as I can definitively say there is no way I would have done what you thought was about to happen. From a textbook perspective, you failed that test. As your potential partner on this mission, I'm glad you fought back. We need to act a role, but be ready to fight for our lives every minute of every day. If someone tried to do what I did, you have to be ready and able to kill them and hide the body…or accept what they're doing, if that's your only option. Understood?"

"Kill them and hide the body. Got it," Judy responded firmly. "Is that something we can have the foxes take the blame for without risk?"

"We're still here, Fluff," Nick cut in, but Judy ignored him.

"Yes and no," Harry said, visibly relaxing. "They, and the four officers we're bringing with us, can kill any prey without fear of real punishment, but they will be expected to replace that slave financially. We won't have that much in the way of resources. Better to be subtle."

"There won't be any subtlety if someone tries to molest Judy," warned Nick. When Judy looked up, she realized he was bristled, apparently ready to attack either Harry or the very idea of what was being suggested. "Hiding the remains may take a mop."

"You're assuming you can do something about it," Harry replied, calmly staring back at Nick. "Keep in mind, you're among the smaller predators. There are some down there who will treat you no differently than a bunny. To a bear, you'll be viewed as prey, too. You won't have as many restrictions and requirements, but you'll have to walk the line between predator and prey. On the upside, you will be ignored by many because of that. On the downside, predators slightly larger than you will see the two of you as easy victims, the same way we will be. Hopps may be hiding bodies for you and you for her, before this is over. When all is said and done, the other four will be along to try and protect all of us."

Judy's ears tilted a little at one particular word in Harry's explanation. "Requirements? You mean clothing and dialect, or something like that? Won't we stand out there?"

This time, Snow spoke up. "As you are now, yes. The Ursius clan held a great many lands, so dialects aren't nearly so much of an issue. He even sent several dozen Zootopians south as slaves, so your accents are relatively common in the northern part of his lands. Clothing will need to be provided. Of greater concern are physical specifics."

"Meaning what?" Nick asked. "I'm not about to pierce anything. I already had this fight with my mother when I was a kit."

"Meaning, you will both need a little bit of cosmetic surgery," she replied. "Given that foxes are low on the predator food chain, you will need to have markings—scars indicating official declaration of free birth—on your lower arm to ensure they do not think you are a runaway slave. It won't protect you from those who look down on our species, but it will give you the most basic of rights." Judy stared at Snow's long sleeves, which apparently did not go unnoticed. "Yes, I have those marks, Hopps. I have a great many scars, and those are among them. You should be more concerned about the requirements on yourself."

Judy looked up at Nick, and saw the worry he was trying to hide. "Scars to mark me as someone's property, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, among other things," Snow explained, motioning to Harry. "Please show her. I'd rather she decide if she's going, after seeing things for herself."

Moving closer, Harry began sliding up his sleeves. All along his arms were the same uneven fake stripes as ran across his ears and back of his head. With him close, Judy began to realize the dye in his fur helped hide deep scarring across his arms, ears, and head.

"Those are from a whip," Harry noted, wincing a little at the attention. "You don't need them. We'll pass you off as more obedient than I was. It's the smaller markings you need to worry about."

Judy looked again, seeing deep patterns across both forearms. The same pattern was on both arms, with a vague symbol above a series of numbers.

"The mark is for the region where I was born," Harry said, tapping his left forearm with his right paw. "The number is registered with the Ursius family, or their government. Anyone can look up who currently owns me, in case things have changed. They add to the numbers if something changes. At a glance, they know almost the entire history of any slave by these scars."

"Okay," Judy said softly, swallowing hard. "Some creative scars on my arms. Got it."

"Not just creative," warned Snow. "We had to research another bunny of the same subspecies, with similar appearance, and same age and gender. We will need to mimic all of her scars. You will replace her, to ensure anyone looking up your registration is fooled. Thankfully, she was taken in by our infiltration agents, before they had to flee the region. There are other requirements beyond that."

Harry stepped even closer, ignoring a huff from Nick. Lowering his shirt collar, he showed Judy a wide patch where the fur was entirely worn off all the way around his neck. "You'll be collared. We have to use a real collar, too. They check. You can't take it off, as the lock is intended to be permanent. We have turned down the part that's intended to shock you to death if you flee, though."

"Can we fake it?" Judy asked, feeling sick to her stomach. "A pretend collar?"

"We haven't had good luck with that," Snow answered. "It's not uncommon for them to verify collars are functional before entering a city. The one assurance I can give is that we'll put the trigger in Wilde's paws. It's about as safe as we can make things. The remote activation will also be disabled, just in case."

"Okay, I can deal with that." Judy reached up and took Nick's paw, squeezing it to reassure him. "If that's all, I still accept."

"Not quite," Harry said, looking even more uncomfortable suddenly. "All prey in their lands are required to be surgically altered, to minimize the population. Only the rich are allowed to own prey who can breed. Breedable prey who aren't of fine stock are usually killed as soon as it's discovered, and any children are then sold off."

Before Judy could ask questions, it was Nick who spoke up angrily. "If you expect to butcher her, and take away her choices on that topic, we're going to have a really strong argument, Zippy."

"No, no," Harry replied, raising both paws defensively. He moved a few steps farther from Nick. "They don't really check us to make sure we're sterile. We can mimic the scars, without the internal damage. It's actually a little easier on females than males, at least in the long run. If we were bringing male prey, we would actually have to insist on the real surgery, as it's easier for them to verify. Be thankful you're a fox, Wilde. I'm guessing you'd object if we wanted to start snipping things off."

Judy managed to stifle a snicker when Nick's knees snapped together. That amusement died instantly as she realized Harry's explanation meant he probably was not entirely…intact. Whether that meant he could still have attacked her in the shooting range was up for debate, but she really did not want to delve into that. "What exactly are talking about for me?"

Harry turned his attention back to her. "A long scar across your abdomen. While the ones on your arms are reversible for the most part when you return, I'm afraid this one won't be. No amount of cosmetic work will get the fur to ever quite fill in. I'd recommend a one-piece swimsuit in the future, if you don't want others seeing it. Otherwise, get creative with your storytelling. A car accident is probably the easiest excuse."

"I don't really like wearing swimsuits, anyway," she admitted. "A little too revealing for my taste. I didn't inherit my mother's side's figure, so no one wants to see me in anything that skimpy."

Nick let out a loud snort, and then tried to hide it in clearing his throat, while Harry regarded him with what could only be described as annoyed amusement.

"Okay, then if there are no other important questions," Snow cut in, standing up, "I would like to get things underway. While I have no fear we'll be able to get ahead of Rolen, even if we wait a few extra days, the sooner we get started, the better. I'll work on some excuses for the other officers to join us, and make sure there is strong doubt about whether Hopps is still alive, to aid in her disappearing act. Harry will begin outfitting you both, and set up the surgeries required."

"Please tell me this isn't going to involve me getting put under again," Nick asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "Five days was longer than I really wanted to sleep."

Snow raised an eyebrow and scowled. "My surgeon is going to carve markings into your flesh with tools best suited to the dark ages, then accelerate the scarring using some far newer tricks. If you want to be awake, I can arrange it, but I have my doubts about whether you'll like it. I'll want to verify my soundproofing first, as screams carry."

Reaching over, Judy grabbed Nick's paw again. "I'll watch over yours, if you can watch over mine. I won't let anything happen to you…other than the scars we're agreeing to."

"Fine." Nick grumbled softly, but nodded. "Try not to mess up my good looks, at least."

"You're lucky we aren't pushing to have facial features or fur patterns changed on both of you," Snow warned. "Normally, we would, in cases where the target has seen our agents before. There isn't time for you to heal before we go, so that's off the table."

Nick hesitated a moment, before asking, "So what do you really look like?"

Without missing a beat, Snow responded, "Oh, didn't you know? I'm actually an aardvark."

For a long second, the room remained silent as both Nick and Judy cocked their heads one way, then the other, trying to picture that in their heads. Finally, it was Harry who broke the mood and began snickering.

"You will need to learn to recognize when I'm lying, Wilde," Snow said, smirking. "If you can't even read me, you're not much use to me as a hustler."

"When would we be doing this?" Judy asked the two agents. She hoped it sounded like a genuine question, which in some sense it was, and not the attempt to keep Nick's attention on her and not Snow. Deep down, Judy knew she was being more possessive than normal, but after Nick "dying," she was having trouble being okay with him around vixens. "Do we schedule an appointment with one of the hospitals, or is this an outpatient thing?"

"Let's call it outpatient," Snow answered, tilting her head toward one of the room's doors. "Milo will be ready shortly. There's really no time to waste. We'd hoped you two would be back yesterday, but there were apparently some, shall we say, distractions? Unless there's a very good reason to delay longer, I want Milo to start immediately. It will give the scars more time to calm down and look natural."

"Milo?" Judy asked, suddenly afraid of the procedure. "The suspect I… The one I attacked? You're letting someone I hit do surgery on me?"

"Yes, that one," replied Snow, smirking. "Don't worry, he won't take it personally. He's used to being used as a decoy against far larger mammals. He's actually the one who trained and readied Harry for Wilde's attack."

Nick grumbled softly. "Never letting that drop, are we?"

"You wanted to kill me," Harry noted, scowling up at Nick. "Do many mammals let that go?"

"Depends on whether they deserved it." Nick's tone went from annoyed humor to warning faster than Judy had expected. Perhaps she was not the only one being possessive. When they had time, she really was going to have to insist on them both sitting down to talk through their feelings, or fight it out so they could settle things.

"Let's get this done," Judy interjected, worried the two might come to blows again. "I'm happy to go first, if that helps."

"It does," Snow answered, giving both Nick and Harry a warning glare. "Yours will take longer anyway. Follow me, and I'll reintroduce you to Agent Milo Scurrin. Wilde is free to follow, if he likes. I will warn that this will not be easy to watch. I don't know how well he handles seeing his loved ones cut into, but I can hazard a guess."

Judy followed Snow out of the room and into the back halls of the deceptively-large building, with Nick right behind her, separating her from Harry. After a few turns, they came out into the same room where she had seen Nick's body, though the layout of the place had changed slightly. Now, it—thankfully—did not look quite so much like a morgue, but more like a makeshift operatory. Waiting there with a book in his paws was the same mouse lemur she had met back at Precinct One.

As they stood in the doorway, a vent over top of the doorway seemed to cough out stale air, hitting only Judy and Nick.

"Oh, good, you got both of them?" asked Milo, as they entered the room, putting aside his book. "Didn't think I'd see the bunny again. This town's so full of surprises. Who's my first victim?"

The phrasing brought Judy to an abrupt halt, and she could feel Nick bristling, without even having to look. "Victim?"

Snow sighed and stopped near the operating table in the center of the room. "Milo is quite good at figuring out most things, but personal interactions are not among them. I'm afraid he's being colorful with his wording."

"Yep, pretty much!" the small lemur replied, hopping to his paws and padding over to the table, which was tall enough his ears did not even reach the bottom, while Judy could just barely see onto it without rising on her toes. "Bunny or fox first?"

"Bunny," Judy volunteered, inching forward. "How do we do this?"

"Simple, really," Milo explained, motioning toward a table full of tools Judy did not recognize. "You strip down—top half only, please—and I put you under for about an hour while I work. When you wake up, you'll be heavily sedated, so the pain won't be bad initially. At that point, you can get dressed. Tonight will be difficult, but I can assure you it is just pain. There's no real damage to worry about, and scratching it won't damage the scars, though I don't recommend it overall."

"I'm not okay with this anymore," Nick said, putting one paw on Judy's shoulder. "This is where I draw the line."

Judy patted Nick's paw, but then slid it away. "Get over it, Nick. I've had to strip down far more for ZPD physicals. Even Bogo's seen me less dressed. Milo is a doctor. It's not a big deal."

His large eyes coming up to focus on Judy, Milo smiled sheepishly. "I'm not technically a doctor. Medically trained, sure. Besides, seen plenty of bunnies. No real surprises there. Foxes are a little new to me. I'll read up on vulpine anatomy before we start in on him. The internet is a wonderful resource. They have all kinds of pictures and videos. With luck, they might even have a diagram I can print off with arrows and circles for the things that don't get cut off."

The room remained disturbingly quiet, as Snow stared in unhidden dismay at Milo. After nearly a full minute, the lemur looked from person to person, before saying, "A joke! Gosh, the ZBI is such a rough audience. I've neutered plenty of foxes."

"We are not neutering anyone!" Nick snapped, stepping past Judy angrily. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"I do," Milo answered, his grin sending shivers down Judy's spine, right to her tail. "Do you? One of us can do these surgeries with or without cutting anything off. The other will find a lot less humor in the whole situation, and argue until he has himself worked into a full frenzy. Calm yourself down, predator. I do actually know what I'm doing. You won't lose any vital parts, unless you've given me no other choice, or Snow has requested trophies."

"Milo, please behave!" Snow warned, baring her fangs for the first time Judy had seen. "You're not helping!"

Scoffing at the various mammals glaring at him, Milo went to the side of the room and got a large stool, which he dragged to the side of the table. In one paw, he raised a scalpel. "We're not getting any younger. Bunny, strip down and get up here. Anyone who's squeamish, get out. Between the two of them, I've got a lot of work to do."

Judy looked up at Nick, and realized he was no longer in protector-mode. He had gotten seriously rattled by the lemur's banter, and had his tail very nearly tucked and ears flattened back. When she took his paw, he jumped slightly.

"We'll be fine," she assured him, though Nick did not seem to believe her. "You sure you want to be here while he works on me? This won't be easy to watch."

"Yes," Nick answered immediately, but then looked behind them at Harry, who was leaned against the doorframe, appearing bored. "I want him gone, though. Snow can stay if she wants."

Snow's eyes narrowed, but she shrugged. "I don't really enjoy the sight of blood, so out of preference, I'm leaving. Harry, come along. We'll get your supplies organized again for the trip."

Both agents left the room, closing the door behind them. That left just Nick, Milo, and Judy in the operatory. When Judy looked back to Milo, the smaller mammal was tapping his hind paw impatiently on the stool, and motioning toward the table with the scalpel.

Stepping forward, Judy pulled off her top, handing it to Nick as she reached the table. With a small bounce, she was able to get her top half onto the metal table—and nearly freeze her chest and stomach, even through her fur—before scrambling fully up. She hurriedly got herself onto the sheets there, thankful for even the thin layer between herself and the metal table.

"Yours is going to hurt a _lot_ if you're awake," warned Milo, leaning over Judy, with one paw near her left eye to hold it open while he examined her pupils. "Awake or asleep? The building is designed so no one outside this room will hear you screaming, if you prefer to be awake. I don't recommend going without anesthetic, but I'm flexible."

"I'd rather not be awake," she answered, smiling despite herself when Nick took her right paw in his. "You might need to sedate him if he gets too worried about me, though."

"Already did that," Milo said, as he shoved an IV into Judy's arm with practiced ease. "The puff of air as you came into the room was an airborne sedative. He'll be half-drunk in about five minutes. Little thing I rigged up to ensure my patients don't argue too much, and I _always_ use it when lovers are both in the same room, as one invariably gets upset. Also makes putting you under a lot faster. Loads of fun at parties, too. I dosed most of the ZBI a couple years back for their holiday party, and almost caused an international incident."

Nick's fearful posturing returned, and he stepped away from the table long enough to grab a chair, before returning to take her paw again. "We're going to have words about gassing us."

"Oh, I doubt that," said Milo, starting the IV drip. Within seconds, Judy began to feel lightheaded. A scent of garlic or onions filled her nose as her fingers, toes, and ears went numb. "If you want to start a fight, Wilde, please feel free. I designed the tranquillizer darts the ZPD uses. Want to bet on how fast you'll be unconscious, naked, and on a street corner downtown with a sign reading 'Free fox to a good home'?"

"Be good," Judy warned Nick, smiling up at him.

"For you, Carrots, anything," he replied, kissing her on the forehead, as she went under.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.3 – Change in Direction

 **August 20** **th** **, Friday Night – Undisclosed Location**

Nick woke with a start, curses on his tongue as he remembered Milo sedating him. He was getting seriously sick of waking up in ZBI beds, and hearing Milo whisper, "We did agree we're neutering this one, right?" near his ear as he fell asleep was not helping. Immediately, he reached down under the sheets and verified sheath, sack, and whatnot was intact, and there were no surprise scars. While he found no changes there, pain flashed across his forearms, where he could see bloody bandages.

"Welcome back," Judy said, and Nick soon spotted her in a soft chair along the wall. Like him, she had bandages across her arms, along with a heavier one around her stomach, just below the cut-off remains of the shirt she had worn into the place. "They moved us while you were out. I don't know where we are anymore, but Snow did stop by to say both surgeries were successful. She's got some briefings scheduled for tomorrow, after we're able to walk without getting sick or crying too much."

Nick studied the bandages on his arms, debating whether to remove them and see what was beneath. Knowing he got a little queasy when he accidentally cut his thigh during the ZPD academy, he decided against pushing his luck.

"How long was I out this time?" he asked, laying back. "If you say a week, I'm going to find that lemur and hurt him."

"Five hours," she answered, grinning. "I was out about four hours…three of that in surgery. Your sedatives wore off about three hours ago. Milo said he was guessing something had happened to really tire you out before the surgery, as nothing he did accounted for the longer nap. I'll happily take credit for that."

"I can't begin to say how unfair it is you're not exhausted, too," he replied, smiling as he adjusted his sheets, and licked his nose to moisten it. "I'm assuming Agent Badtouch didn't give me reason to hurt him while I was unconscious?"

"If you mean Agent Harry, no. You really need to let me deal with that, Nick. I'm more than happy to shoot him if he does a repeat performance. You try to be my white knight without me asking, and I'll be almost as mad at you as at him…though more likely to forgive you over time."

"Understood. Let the bunny kick her own enemies," he thought out loud, smiling. A fresh flare of pain across his arms reminded him they were not at home goofing off. Gently, he touched the bandages. "How bad are yours?"

Judy reached as though to scratch her arms, but forcibly dropped her paw into her lap. "Terrible. I slipped twice so far and itched. Trust me, you do _not_ want your claws on these. The stomach is a lot worse. Milo had to give me an extra dose of painkillers after I scratched that just once. It's all a little blurry after that, but I sobered up about half an hour ago. There's another dose on the table over there, but I didn't want to be drooling when you woke up."

Nick looked down at the blood-stained bandage on Judy's stomach, and felt a little sick. "I'm sorry, Judy. I had no idea they were going to have to do so much more to you. I know they said there'd be some work on your stomach, but that looks awful."

"I whine less. It's the better way for it to turn out." She gave him a playful wink, to let him know she was kidding.

"No, it's not okay," he said, any desire for levity lost. "You weren't joking when you said you look bad in a swimsuit. Having some psycho lemur cut you up can't help."

"Eh, it gives me a better excuse to hide how I look now."

"Why would you want to?" he asked her, getting a surprised head cock and straight ears in response. "You're beautiful, Judy. Always have been, always will be. Anyone who said otherwise is trying to get you to hate yourself for some reason. With or without the scar, you'd be the most stunning mammal on a beach."

"And you, Drunky McFox, are still under the effects of some serious painkillers," she said, laughing softly. "Don't think I don't appreciate it, though. I'll let you get out of that when you're back to normal."

Nick snorted, but lay back. "Okay, I'm a little loopy, but I'm still serious. If we make it back from this, we're going to a beach, to prove a point."

"And I'll be the bunny in shorts and a T-shirt, hiding under an umbrella. Maybe you should go back to sleep, Nick."

"I'll just add it to the list of things I want to do when we get back," he went on, thinking through his bucket list. Many items were ones he was not ready to share with Judy, others were like the swimsuit thing—meant to get her past her belief she was so unremarkable. "You, me, a beach, and Zippy serving drinks. Maybe make Snow bring us towels."

"Now I know you're out of your mind. Get some rest, and I'll do the same. My room's right next door, if you need me. Snow said she would stop by when she had a moment. Until then, we should both be resting."

Nick looked around the room, gauging how large both the room itself and the bed he lay in were. "I've got more than enough room for a bunny here. Someone's gotta listen to me whine about my war wounds."

"You got shot not that long ago, Slick," she reminded him, getting up and coming over to stand beside the bed with one paw on her stomach. "These hardly compare as 'war wounds.' They only hurt so much because they needed the scars to look old right away. Milo said it's like having your nerve endings cauterized."

"Oh come on, stop making me tell the truth," Nick pleaded, scooting over a little on the bed. "I want you to stay because I don't like being away from you. The rest was a more reasonable excuse."

Smiling crookedly, Judy seemed to contemplate before slowly climbing up beside him. "I suppose I can put up with you for another night, so long as you can put up with this ugly duckling of a bunny."

"I can manage," Nick said, chuckling as Judy nestled in alongside him, allowing him to wrap his arm over her. "Going to have to keep me away from other bunnies, though. You never know."

"Not funny," she warned, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. "I have a few sisters I would actually worry about going after you."

"Sisters? I meant your mom."

Judy laughed far louder than Nick had expected, but then whimpered as she held her stomach. "Please don't make me laugh. Ow. If you thought my dad was bad with the taser when you were hitting on me, imagine how he'd be with my mom."

"Oh well, I'll just invite him to join in," Nick said, grinning up at the ceiling. He could feel the disgusted glare from Judy.

"You will not have a threesome with my parents. That's where I draw the line, Nick. I don't know what you've heard about bunnies, but that's not a normal thing for us."

"I guess I'll just have to settle for the Hopps I love, who happens to also be the prettiest and smartest," he told her more softly, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head. "The sacrifices I make."

"You forgot stubbornnest," she told him, putting her arm over his chest. She had begun to sound sleepy, which could have been either from the surgery, or the time of day. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Now I know that's a lie." When he got no reply, Nick shifted so he could look at Judy. She lay against his side, curled with her knees almost to her chin, hind paws against his hip, already softly snoring. "And I was just starting to tease. Always falling asleep before I get my best one-liners out."

Nick gently kissed the top of Judy's head, then lay back to rest. Just as he began to drift off toward sleep, he heard the door open slowly, and light pawsteps entering the room.

"You're not as sneaky as you think," Nick warned, keeping his eyes shut. "If you're room service, there'd better be a continental breakfast."

"Hardly," replied Snow, and Nick opened one eye and then the other to look at her. "Is she doing all right? She's tough, but that wasn't an easy surgery for anyone. You might not believe me, but I was worried about you both."

"Well enough," he said, stroking Judy's ears down her back as she slept. "Pretty sure she's the only one who knows what this surgery feels like around here."

"Don't be so certain." Snow lifted her suit coat and shirt, revealing a long ugly scar across her stomach, just below the ribs, where the fur had never regrown. "Like I said before, some in the south view our species as no better than prey. Same rules are sometimes applied, depending on who owns you."

Nick winced and looked away, until Snow covered her stomach again. "From ZBI business, or living there?"

"Living there," she answered, going over to sit where Judy had been not long before. "Let's just say they don't believe in using nearly as much anesthetic as we do. The reason the scars are so large is most of us are fighting through the entire procedure."

"Wait…if I'm marked as a free mammal, how is this all working out? Judy has to wear a collar…do you?"

The corner of Snow's muzzle twitched, as though resisting an outright smile. "No. As a predator, I don't have to wear a collar, even if I am viewed as a slave. I can't change my scars, so I'm stuck with my station. What I can do—and have—is verify my last owner is deceased. As such, the free mammal possessing the slave is the owner until paperwork is updated. I did not want to inflate your ego, but you will be my owner in public. It's part of why we needed you, specifically. Neither Harry nor I can be out in public without someone taking charge."

"I'm sure we'll be disgustingly cute together," he replied, acting as though resisting a gag sensation.

Snow smiled at that. "I somehow doubt we'll be anything but a bickering couple, which is fine, and won't draw extra attention. That actually leads me to admit something…you two do make a rather adorable pair. I still don't understand it, and certainly wouldn't even remotely consider it myself, but it does seem to work for you."

"It takes a bit of extra work, but it's worth it," he said, smiling.

"Extra work, indeed. I did some Zoogle searches. Suffice to say, this isn't something there are many articles on, though there are a few too many faked pictures on fetish sites. Given not one of them was real, I'm certain you could probably sell photos for quite a sum of money, if you were desperate. I've seen what the ZPD pays you, so you might well be that desperate. I'd guess a single picture would go for nearly five figures."

Nick glowered at Snow, and she winked, letting the topic drop.

"So what brings you down to our little den?" Nick asked, after a minute.

"First, checking on your recovery," Snow said, adjusting her glasses. "Despite my demeanor in the past, I actually do care about everyone I'm protecting, which amounts to most of the city. Don't let anything Harry says make you think otherwise."

"Been meaning to ask about that. Harry? What kind of superhero name is that?"

Snow's expression hardened instantly, and she bristled slightly. "Don't make me come over there and pinch your new scars, without retracting my claws. As for the name, he chose to use it himself. I have little say in the matter, other than to advise him against it."

"So it's his real name."

Snow winced subtly. "Yes. A poor choice, but it was his to make."

"What's yours?"

"Not happening, Wilde. We keep our names secret for a reason."

Nick rolled his eyes, and resumed stroking Judy's ears when she started to stir. "You know our names. I'm dead, as far as the city knows. Knowing your track record, they think she is, too. When along the way do you begin putting trust in us? So far, this is pretty one-sided."

Snow stared at him a long time, until at last she blinked and looked down at the floor. "Skye is my first name. Even I don't know my last. We lost that when our family became slaves when I was too young to remember. I haven't used either in many years. Went by 'Snow' even before I left the south, as most slaves go by nicknames. Harry is the only one who still even tries to call me Skye."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Nick said, smiling at her, though Skye kept her attention on the floor, as though ashamed of having given her name. "You had other reasons to come?"

"Yes," she replied, inhaling deeply and tilting her ears up attentively. "I had hoped Hopps was awake, but no matter. We need to have her fitted with a collar. The sizing is correct, so we just need to lock it down. Once set, it cannot be removed until we get back to the city. Even then, it will take Milo or someone of his skill to get it off safely."

"Leave the collar with me." Nick looked down at Judy when she moved, but she was simply kicking gently in her dreams. "I doubt she'll let anyone else put it on. If you try, she'll probably bite you."

Snow smiled warmly and nodded. "Normally, that would not have been a deterrent. Given how Hopps keeps surprising me, I would rather not have her attack me again. She will make a fine agent—even if only temporarily—as I doubt anyone where we're going has ever met a bunny as capable, or as dangerous."

The room remained quiet for a little while, until Skye stood up and pulled a thick metal and leather collar from her coat, which she placed on the bed near Nick's left paw, on the far side from Judy. Despite the small diameter, Nick could hardly believe it was designed for someone Judy's size, given the bulk. Even the collar he had been shown at the ZPD designed for his species was lighter and far less intimidating.

"In the morning, we'll bring the other ZPD officers in," she explained, smoothing her coat. "Get your rest. Once we go through that briefing, things will be very fast-paced. We already have a plane booked for the evening after next. There will be no time for real rest after that."

"Plane? Never been on one. Haven't even been outside the city more than a handful of times."

"Oh, you'll love it," Snow said, sounding somewhat mocking. She quickly headed for the door. "Especially how we leave the plane. I'll fill you in on that later. For now, sleep."

Nick hesitated, but before the door closed, he spoke up. "Skye?"

She flinched, then came back into the room. "Not in front of the other ZPD officers, please. I would rather forget that name. What do you need?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to tell you to get some sleep, too. You're looking tired. If I can tell, it has to be bad."

Skye took off her glasses, and slid them into her coat pocket. Touching her face, her fingers went straight to the wrinkles near the junction between her muzzle and cheeks. "Most mammals assume I'm old, and not tired. The glasses help conceal it, usually. Am I hiding it so poorly?"

"To a hustler, yes. You're what, twenty-five? Thirty at most? You look like you're going to fall over if you don't sleep soon."

Hurriedly slipping her glasses back on, Skye glared at Nick as though he had insulted her. "You have a knack for seeing what I don't want you to, and missing the rest. Twenty-nine, thank you. There's a lot to do before we go, and—"

"You're scared," Nick said, leaving no room for argument. To his surprise, Skye did not even try to debate it. "If we need to sleep before things get worse, it goes double for you as the one in charge. We don't know what we're getting into. You do."

"You're…you are right, Wilde," she said at last, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Alcohol isn't doing it anymore, so I may go see Milo for something stronger to put me under. I just hate how gleeful he is when I ask that."

"Is there anything I need to know about the collar before you go?"

Skye nodded. "When the clasp is shut, you need to have one of your fingers on the top edge of the clasp itself. A small needle will poke you, and tie the collar's ownership identification to you. After that, it cannot be removed. Don't put it on until you're ready to leave it on indefinitely. I'll do the same thing with Harry's collar, as even a lowborn predator can own prey. For this mission, we'll pretend as though you're our responsible adult."

"We're doomed, then," Nick said, laughing. He stopped himself as quickly as he could, checking the bunny in his arms to ensure she had stayed asleep.

"Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind a few times…each hour," Skye replied, leaning heavily on the doorframe. "I'll be at your side to back you up, as no one will really find it odd to have one fox advising another, even if one is property. Oh, before I forget, please ask Hopps to come speak with me when she wakes up. She and I need to have a heart to heart."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Probably," she answered noncommittally. "Girl talk. Hopefully, we can sort out how various things will be handled."

"Those things being?" Nick asked, becoming more curious by the moment.

"You."

Any curiosity died abruptly, as a slight nervousness replaced it. "Never mind. Don't want to know. Anything you two collaborate on is something I want to stay far away from."

"I'm not letting you off that easily, and I doubt she will, either," Skye said, crossing her arms. "If we're going to go into a mission with you two basically untrained and clueless about how much emotional preparation goes into our agents, the last thing I want to do is begin the charade of being your property without having a lengthy talk with your significant other."

"I…guess that makes sense," he replied, smiling down at Judy, as she twitched against him. "I'll let her know."

Softly excusing herself, Skye slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Nick lay still for about a minute, before turning his attention back to Judy. "You hear all of that?"

"Maybe," she mumbled into his chest, without opening her eyes. "How'd you know I was awake?"

"Unless you're dead tired, I can't even begin to shift my tail without you hearing it and waking up. Plus, I saw you struggling to keep your ears from popping up. The muscles still twitch, even if you do manage to keep them down. Also, your tail trembles every time we say your name."

"Dang, and here I thought I was getting sneakier." Opening both large eyes, Judy shifted to put her chin on his chest, so she could look up at him. "I missed the beginning. What would I bite her for doing? If this is one of your weird fantasies…"

"No, nothing like that this time," he answered, smiling—and hoping she was kidding. "Not entirely. I mean, it is about you wearing a collar."

"Ugh…that," Judy groaned, thumping her forehead against his side several times, before going back to resting her chin on him. "What's the story?"

"Apparently, I have to put it on you, then I own you," he said, unable to keep from grinning all the more. "Figuratively, at least. It's just an act, after all."

Judy's face betrayed no hint of annoyance, to his surprise. Instead, she reached into one of the pockets in her jeans, and pulled out the faded old handkerchief he had been given in the Junior Rangers. He had not seen it since the day he had tied to her leg more than half a year earlier when she had broken her leg running from Bellwether. "If you're going to symbolically take ownership of me, let's make this a little more fair." Reaching up, Judy eyed his neck, then frowned and moved to tie the kerchief onto his upper arm, instead. "Won't fit on your neck anymore, but let's consider this your collar, even if you're not wearing it. You're mine, and don't forget it, Slick."

"Pretty sure collars don't mean much here," he replied, though he could barely bring himself to tease, as meaningful as the gesture was to him. "Now licking, that's another matter. If you've licked something, that's ownership in the eyes of the—"

Before he could finish the thought, Judy had hopped up onto his chest—one paw held to her stomach bandages—and ran her tongue from the tip of his nose to right between his eyes, leaving a long trail of wet fur behind. The gloating smirk she gave him as he wiped his face dry was all too reminiscent of the day she had forced him to work with the ZPD.

"Still mine," she gloated, grinning. "I'll make sure Skye understands, too."

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that, Fluff. This time next weekend, it'll be all 'yes master' and 'no master.' My mom would be so proud."

Judy rolled her eyes and settled back into the crook of his arm. "We both know better than that. If she thought you were encouraging that kind of talk, I'd be getting a fast reeducation, and you'd be grounded."

They lay there a bit longer, until Nick began to wonder if Judy was asleep again. "Carrots?"

"Still right here," she replied, poking his shoulder with her nose. "What's on your mind now?"

"Are you scared?" he asked her, stroking her ears gently.

"Of course I am. Aren't you?"

"Terrified," he admitted, switching from fingertips to claws to trace lines in her fur, eliciting a faint purr. "When you thought I was dead…the way you looked at me when I came back. I can't help thinking about my mother."

"I'm worried about my parents, too," she said softly. "Snow—Skye, or whatever we call her now—said she would let others think I was dead. I already know what she's going to tell my family, and they won't take it very well."

Nick shifted to look down at Judy, but she was avoiding looking back. "This has to do with not eating, doesn't it?"

"Maybe."

"I may not be as well-studied as you are," he said, resuming his stroking of her fur. "I do know how to do a Zoogle search for symptoms. Scary stuff. Is that very common for bunnies?"

"Common enough everyone knows someone who passed away from it." Judy flattened herself a little more firmly against Nick's side. "Never heard of a bunny dying of grief over a fox, though. That's new. Not sure how mom and dad are going to explain that to my younger siblings."

Nick kissed Judy's forehead. "Tell you what. Tomorrow, we sneak out for a little while. Once the others are here, there's no way Snow can watch us all. I'll check on my mom, and let her know things aren't what they seem. You call your parents. We can't let them all think this is the end."

"It might be," she whispered back. "We don't know we're coming home from this."

"They need to know the truth."

Judy kept quiet, and after a minute, reached down and tugged the sheets over them both. Once they were covered, she poked at his tail until he shifted, letting her use it as a body pillow.

"G'night, Fluff."

"Night, Slick."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.4 – Change in Direction

 **August 21** **st** **, Saturday Morning – Undisclosed Location**

A faint knocking at the door woke Judy, while Nick continued snoring.

"Come in," she called out, rubbing her eyes. It took a few seconds before she remembered where she was, and why her arms and stomach hurt terribly. When she did begin putting the pieces together, the sleepiness vanished almost instantly.

"Are you both covered and…um…not knotted up together, so to speak?" asked Skye, leaning in the door with her gaze on the floor initially.

"Painful surgery isn't much of a turn-on for either of us," Judy answered, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chin, while Nick snorted and blinked. "We're decent."

Skye stepped fully into the room, and looked up at the two of them. "So you are. I would have lost that wager. The other officers have arrived, though they know nothing yet. Would you two care to be the ones to explain?"

"Can we get cleaned up first?" Nick mumbled, smacking his tongue as he worked the kinks out of his tail. "We both smell like anesthetic. Carl Cannus will pick that up half a mile out. I'd rather it not be his first impression."

"Of course." Skye motioned out into the hall beyond the door she was standing in. "Second door on the right has a shower and other amenities."

"We'll try to be quick," Judy told the vixen. She gave her bandages a quick check, finding almost no blood on them.

"Might I remind you, vulpine anatomy isn't particularly good at being quick with disengaging afterward if you two get…distracted?" Skye said, somewhat sourly. "Please stick to the task at-paw."

"Quick-ish," Nick corrected, grinning, though he had closed his eyes again. "Can't rush some things."

Huffing in obvious dismay, Skye slipped back out of the room, and Judy heard her quickly walk down the hall.

"That was really crude and unnecessary," Judy told him, poking his side with a finger's claw. All she got as reaction was a slight curl of his muzzle. "We aren't having sex in a ZBI shower."

"Never said we were. Just implied it. Let her pace around, thinking someone's having fun on her watch. It'll drive her crazy. If she comes back to object, I intend to be really noisy. That's your only warning."

"You're disgusting sometimes, Nick," she scolded, shivering and shaking her head.

"You know you love me."

Judy shot him a glare, but he had draped one arm across his eyes, ensuring he did not see it. "Do I know that? You're still disgusting, even if it's true."

"You mean, 'You're disgusting, master.'"

"Har har," she said, sliding off the bed. To her surprise, the surgical sites were not overly painful. They ached and itched a little, but having her tonsils removed had hurt more the next day than the scarring. "I'm definitely not calling you that until we're outside the city, I'm in a collar, and I have no other choice."

With his free paw, Nick held up the collar, shaking it gently. "I can arrange one of the three right now."

Judy backed a step farther from the bed instinctively when the collar came into sight. "Let's wait until after we see the others. Fangmeyer's trying to be my adopted big brother lately, and I don't want him taking your…or Harry's…head off over a misunderstanding."

"Sucking all the fun out of life again," Nick groused, sitting up. He licked around his muzzle and onto his nose, likely tasting the same lingering anesthetic Judy could also faintly feel all across her tongue.

"You don't usually object to me sucking anything," she said, trying to put on an innocent expression. She seemed to be doing better at it than normal, as it took a moment for Nick to go from confused to sly grin. "Mind if I use the shower first?"

"Have at it, but I'll be here whining because you aren't inviting me." Nick got up, scratching with his claws all over his torso, as he did most mornings. "Also, you've got a hot meeting with Snow. I just need to show up sometime. Little more leeway for me."

Judy took a moment, looking around the room for anything she might need to take with her, but she had nothing _to_ take. What she was wearing was all she had, and even that was in far worse shape than when they had arrived, with her shirt cut away to keep it from snagging on her bandages. With nothing she could do about it, she headed out of the room, down the hall, and into the second door on the right.

The bathroom was small, barely having room for a shower which would fit a fox, let alone anyone larger. With the door open, she almost did not even notice the toilet, which was crammed back into one corner. On the opposite wall, the sink was small enough both of her paws would almost not fit under the water at the same time.

"Beggars, choosers, and all that," Judy mumbled, forcing her bubbly enthusiasm to the surface to hide any doubts she might have from herself. "It's more than I expected."

Once she was sure of the place, and had found the small fur drier set into one wall, she began unwinding the long bandages on her arms. They came away with a painful tingle, exposing her pink skin where the fur had been burned off. Whatever Milo had done to her skin certainly did look like thin old scars, welled up in the gaps where the fur was gone. She had no idea what the numbers on her arms meant, but she trusted Mio knew what he was doing.

"And to think mom said only tramps dye their fur when my brothers and I talked about it as teens," she muttered, eying the scars in the light. "I bet she'd love this."

Letting her arms drop back to her sides, Judy tilted her head back and forth, trying to get a better look at her stomach bandages. She soon gave up, and began unwinding the cloth covering her midriff, though that hurt far more as she pulled it away. The last section felt as though it were peeling her skin off with it, but came away with only a small amount of dried blood on it.

With no mirror in the bathroom, there was only so much Judy could see of her "wound," but even that much was jarring. The scar ran nearly from the middle of her stomach to her ribs—shorter than it had been described to her, but still giving the impression of a massive surgical procedure. She seriously doubted that much work would be needed to make a bunny sterile, but having never met one who had gone through anything similar, she could not exactly compare.

Judy touched the scar, and strongly wished she had not. The surgery might have been fake, but the rawness of the flesh was not. Gasping, she stayed perfectly still for a full minute, waiting for the throbbing to end. Once it did, she more carefully pulled off her shirt, and slowly stripped off her jeans and underwear.

"Not too hot, not too cold," she warned herself, turning on the water of the shower. "This is going to hurt, no matter what I do…"

Judy timidly stepped into the shower, flinching each time the water hit any of her new scars. She had hoped to be in and out of the shower in two or three minutes—plus drier time—but the amount of extra caution required slowed her by at least an extra ten. Once she was finally done, she turned on the drier, and relaxed on the closed toilet as her matted fur slowly began to dry and fluff in the warm air.

A soft knock at the door startled her, and Judy stood and grabbed at her clothing, pressing it strategically over her body.

"Nick, if you think we're going to—"

"Not Nick," came Skye's emotionless voice from the other side of the door. "When you're ready, I have fresh clothing for you. One set for today into tomorrow, and another for when we are ready to leave. I'm afraid once you put on that set, you won't have another change for days, or maybe even a week or two. However long we're there."

Going to the door, Judy set aside her damp clothes and reached one paw out toward Skye. Abruptly, the door was shoved open, and Judy squealed as she dove for something to cover herself with.

"I do have your clothes, but I had a feeling this was going to be an issue," the vixen said, raising one eyebrow as she stared at Judy down her muzzle. "Slaves don't have the luxury of being modest, Hopps. Relax. Take a deep breath. I'm going to stand here until you calm down. You'll need to be okay with this, and a great deal of other differences of culture."

Shivering—both from the cold dry air coming in through the open door, and from general nervousness—Judy slowly let her clothing fall to the floor and stood straight.

"I've got three hundred siblings," she said, turning to face Skye, though Judy knew she was still standing more rigidly than she would have liked. "Being in a room with twenty bunnies is one thing. A stranger is quite another. I…I can do this."

"Much better," Skye noted, handing Judy a folded pile of clothing. "Your timidness will be easily misread as just another cowering bunny. So long as you can change in front of other bunnies without hesitation, you should be fine."

"Other slaves?" Judy asked, making a point of slowly pulling on her fresh clothing's pants.

"Yes, generally." Skye stared at Judy with the same amount of emotion as she might when watching an inanimate object. "If we infiltrate whatever's left of the royal court, you and Harry will both be sent to stay in the prey barracks with a few dozen other bunnies. There is no privacy among slaves. I know Harry isn't among your favorite mammals, but he will be the only one there you can trust."

"Can I actually trust him?" Judy pulled on a simple gray T-shirt, which was the last of the attire in the pile which appeared to fit into Zootopia. The other pile was all loose flowing fabrics, which were worn and frayed.

"You can absolutely trust he will do what is right for the mission, as he sees it," explained Skye, looking down over Judy's outfit. "I can't say he will do what you want or what you like. If he does something inappropriate, it's because he believes he has to in order to save us all. He's more like Nick than you might expect. Impulsive and thinks well under pressure, but occasionally needs a sharp slap upside the head when he goes too far."

"That…actually does sound like my fox."

Skye's attention snapped back to Judy's face. "That's actually what we need to talk about this morning. Right now, Harry is going over things with the other officers, though he hasn't told them you're both alive. That gives me a few minutes to go over…shall we say…complications."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, you need to be more careful about your word choices," Skye snapped, more harshly than Judy had expected. "He and I will stick with the names Nick and Snow. Neither name will draw attention. You can call us either by those names or 'master'. Either is fine. We won't be calling you by name. Ironically, most slave owners call their prey by playful pet names, meaning any of the colorful names he uses for you and Harry are fine. If we are calling you by name, it's because you're going to be punished…act accordingly. In a pinch, we might actually have to go through with punishing you."

"Okay," Judy replied, feeling more nervous than she had when naked. "I'll play the part. I promise."

"That's not the most important thing I wanted to talk about," Skye explained, her tone softening somewhat. "While calling Nick 'your fox' could get us all killed, it's also a concept foreign to the mammals of that region. Foxes are with foxes, bunnies with bunnies, and so on. There's some amorous behavior between close species, but that's about all. While Zootopia may have a long way to go in accepting interspecies couples, the southern jungle is far less accepting. To cut down on any chance of others guessing who we all are and our actual relationships, I will be Nick's mate for this trip."

"You…what?" Judy's fur felt as though it had frozen over, and her ears came down hard on her back. "I didn't hear that right."

"We're all acting, Hop…um…Fluff. I have my own part to learn. Nick and I will need to act casually together, and you and…Zippy…need to be servants. Can I trust you to be calm if and when I am close to him?"

Judy swallowed hard. "Just an act?"

"Very much so," Skye admitted, looking a little nervous herself. "He's not the type I fall for, so there should be no worries. I wasn't about to make assumptions this would be okay with you, until we could speak. I don't see an easy way around it, but I want your blessing before I talk with Nick."

"I'm not sure which I find more disturbing," Judy said, openly shivering. "You calling me 'Fluff' or the idea of you and Nick cuddling. There's no way that's not going to look forced."

Skye smiled, the expression warming her face rather remarkably. For once, Judy thought she could see some kindness in those blue eyes. "Forced is still reasonable, in my circumstances. With my markings, I may as well have been purchased to be his mate, and how I feel toward him is irrelevant to most onlookers. They won't read anything into him and I looking awkward, or the impression that I want nothing to do with his attention. They _will_ read a lot into you accidentally calling him your fox."

"I can work on being careful with my wording. Just promise me this is just a hug here and there."

Skye nodded, and took Judy's old clothes from the floor. "Our plan is to be in and out of the area fast enough, I doubt we'll even need that much. I just want to be sure we're all understanding what might happen. If cornered, I have no qualms about kissing him, and pretending it's normal. To save our lives or cover, there are no limits to what I will play off as part of our natural relationship. The mission is far more important than anyone's feelings. I won't apologize for that."

The idea of the two foxes kissing made Judy want to drag Nick away and have a long talk with him, but she knew she had no real room to argue. Few bunnies were overly possessive of their partners before taking things to the point of being 'official', which they had not. Trying to force that on Nick in the middle of undercover work was beyond unreasonable. Much as she hated it, she had signed up for this. He was a retired con artist, and this was a con.

"I'll cope," Judy told Skye, though it did not sound entirely convincing even to herself. "I do kind of want to see his expression when you explain that. He'll probably wet himself if you tell him he had to cuddle with you."

"I've been trying to think of a good way to tell him. I'm thinking right before we jump off the plane, so he can't argue."

"Jump…off?" Judy's ears went back up. "You mean, disembark?"

"In a fashion. Have you ever parachuted?"

Judy stared at Skye, waiting for a punchline that never came. Eventually, the vixen shrugged and moved out into the hallway. "Come along, Carrots. We need to follow-up with your old coworkers. They are upstairs right now with…with Zippy. Dear god, goddess, or whatever you bunnies believe in, why did he pick such awful names for you two? They both absolutely hurt to say. Regardless, we need to see if they are all going."

Once Judy had picked up her second change of clothing, Skye led the way through the halls of the building, until she stopped at a large room with a window facing out onto what appeared to be a shooting range. There, Judy could see Delgato and Spetz lining up shots with high-powered rifles, while Cannus cleaned a pistol, and Fangmeyer read a magazine in the corner, ignoring everyone. Harry paced the line, offering suggestions to the shooters for improvement.

"This is part of one of the old ZBI office buildings. They believe they are here to practice," Skye explained, unceremoniously tossing Judy's regular clothing into a trash can. As she explained, Judy reached into the trash, and extracted her house keys and cell phone. "They will all have the option of going or not. None are key to this mission—unlike you and Nick—but without any of them, I don't see this going well. We need one or two large predators, and definitely need Fangmeyer."

Skye waited at the window several minutes, watching the training exercises patiently, until all three shooters sat down with Harry, holstering their weapons at their hips. Even then, Fangmeyer remained off to one side, staring at the magazine, despite never having turned a single page past where he had been when Judy arrived.

"I have a few things I'll need to do first," Skye said, straightening her shoulders. "Nick should join you in a few minutes. Once he does, you can come out any time after we've asked for the help of the others."

Judy agreed, and leaned on the edge of the one-way glass, watching as Skye made her way out of the back halls and emerged in the shooting range. At her approach, Harry stopped talking to the officers, and even Fangmeyer looked up for a few seconds.

"Everything figured out as to specialties, should the need arise?" Skye asked Harry, who nodded. "All four, that is?"

The three officers around Harry all looked past Skye, toward Fangmeyer, who had gone back to ignoring them.

"What's the problem here, Officer?" Skye demanded, making her way over to Markus, who did not lower his magazine until she was right in front of him. "It was my understanding you were one of the more talented snipers in the local SWAT. If this is a modesty thing—"

"Kiss my orange ass," replied the tiger, finally turning the page of the magazine. "You know damn well I destroyed my shoulder during the summer. I'm lucky I can even use that arm anymore. Besides, everyone who's helped you two has wound up dead. Don't expect me to be chipper, no matter how many times Bogo tells me to play along."

Judy felt a sense of dread set in. She had known Markus Fangmeyer was taking his injury badly, but hearing him say it made it seem worse.

"Two tours of duty as a sniper for the Rangers," Skye added, clasping her paws behind her back, in a manner reminiscent of a soldier at attention. "You've earned medals I didn't even know existed, defending this city. Of these four, you're the only one who has worked beside the ZBI before. Are you telling me you intend to give up that easily?"

Grumbling, Markus put down the magazine. "I'll break my shoulder if I put a rifle against it. Maybe in a few years, but not now. Pins are about all that's holding me together. You want a sniper, you get to be one. I'd love to see you try."

Skye stood still for a bit, eyeing Markus as though expecting him to relent. When he did not, she shrugged and wandered over to the side of the room, where a large locked cabinet stood. She went through her keys, until finally finding one that unlocked the cabinet. From inside, she took a rifle nearly four times as long as she was tall, which she carried in one paw across the room, drawing stares from all four officers.

"This isn't about whether you were injured or not," Skye explained, lowering a stand mounted on the barrel of the rifle, so it stood on its own, aimed downrange. "You assume you cannot do something, simply because the way you did is no longer an option. Tell me, Officer Fangmeyer, do the rangers teach you to fire with either paw?"

"Yes," he growled, tossing his magazine onto a table nearby. "Not nearly as good off-paw. The recoil throws me off."

Skye smiled coolly back at Markus, then lay down on the floor, so she could stare down the sight of the rifle. "How much do you weigh?"

"A little less than four hundred pounds," he said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"I weigh thirty," replied Skye, squinting into the sights. Reaching up, she slid a pair of noise-cancelling headphones over one ear, leaving the other exposed. "This rifle was built for a mammal your size. What should happen if I fire it?"

"Probably break every bone in your body, if you're lucky," he answered, narrowing his eyes as he watched her. "It'd be like asking the bunny over there to fire it. The kick will slide you halfway back to where I'm sitting. We'll probably be peeling pieces of you off the stock for days. You know what, go ahead and do it. Bogo said I had to play along, not actually help you."

Returning her attention to the rifle, Skye adjusted her headphones to cover her other ear. Lining up her shot, she pulled the trigger, and a deafening boom echoed through the range as the rifle went off. Despite the smooth floor and her relatively low weight, Skye barely budged. Squinting, Judy could see the bullet had passed through the edge of the target.

"If you can't do your job with this, you were picked for this mission by mistake," Skye said derisively, pulling off her headphones, and carrying the rifle to stand alongside Markus. "The recoil will hurt on your bad shoulder, but that should be about all. All of our handguns will be usable in that paw, as well. Given the low recoil, you can probably fire off-paw easily. Please spend some time familiarizing yourself with the weapon. Be mindful of it overheating. The recoil suppression will destroy the rifle in no time if you aren't careful. The ZBI always has the best toys. Keep that in mind before telling me what you can and cannot do in the future."

The sound of paws on the laminate floor drew Judy's attention away from the window, even as Fangmeyer took the rifle from Skye and slowly examined it. In the hidden room, Nick came up to join Judy, dressed in simple but clean clothing, his fur still damp and slightly matted.

"I miss much?" he asked, brow furrowing as he came up beside her, watching Markus. "I thought he couldn't shoot anymore?"

"They made him a low-recoil rifle. I didn't even think technology like that existed, but there it is. Apparently, this isn't as off-the-cuff as we thought."

Nick snorted, and crossed his arms. "I'll believe that when we're done, and not all dead. We're talking about the same group that forgot to tell the ZPD Rolen even existed, until after he was killing us off. Half-assed seems to be their agency motto."

Judy smiled, but kept quiet as she watched Fangmeyer take his first shot, using his left arm. The bullet hit closer to the target than Skye's had, though was still a good bit outside the circles. His second was less than an inch outside the center mark.

"Let's see if I've got this all figured out," Nick began, once the booms of the rifle had stopped momentarily. "Two bunnies and two foxes for infiltrating, because everyone underestimates us. A tiger to shoot anything that looks at us funny. Lion, wolf, and leopard to ensure we're safe overall, and keep others off our sniper. I know what our jobs are, but not why we're going. Skye keeps saying it's to catch Rolen, but I'm not buying it."

Another deafening crack from the rifle kept Judy from answering immediately, even with the noise-reduction from the window. "The suspects may have been faked, but I'm betting the theft of the journals wasn't, given what happened in Podunk. I doubt either of those two cares one wit for Rolen. They want those journals found, before the old wars begin again. Rolen's an easy excuse to get us to go. I'd bet there's no one left to sanction their mission, and we're breaking more laws than I can count."

"Lovely," Nick muttered, then whistled softly when Markus fired three shots through the center of the target's head. The rifle's barrel began to glow as the metal overheated, and Fangmeyer quickly set it aside to wait. "When do you want to go let the others know we're alive?"

Judy looked over toward the table where Harry, Felix Spetz, Stan Delgato, and Carl Cannus were sitting. She could just barely make out maps on the table. The explanation of their mission had begun, but none of the three appeared even remotely interested. "Now might be a good time. They're going to reject the mission, likely because Harry's not their favorite animal."

Nick smoothed his shirt, and offered Judy a paw to help her down off the steps in front of the window. Walking side-by-side, they made their way to a door just outside the observation room, which led into the range.

"Last chance to run away," he told her, with his paw on the door handle.

"You're talking to yourself again. If I were going to run, I'd have done it before letting some deranged lemur carve up my tummy and arms. The fact that I didn't beat the agents half to death for claiming they let you die should tell you I'm not backing down. Let's do this."

Nick pushed open the door without any further hesitation, leading the way out into the range. When he and Judy both made it into the range floor, all six mammals looked up, including Markus as he got off the floor.

"Hey guys," Nick called out, waving as though they simply had not seen him in a few days. "Heard you're all being recruited for some fox-level shady work. Where do I sign up to help? Also, I'm not dead, in case anyone wondered. Judy isn't, either."

Spetz and Cannus turned in unison to glare at Harry, and Judy could faintly hear them both growling, though Harry made a point of looking at his maps, rather than at them. Delgato's expression seemed to be a mix of joy and utter horror, as though he was doubting anything he was seeing. Markus Fangmeyer was unreadable, his eyes narrowing as he watched them approach.

"I'd like to introduce our probationary members of the ZBI," Skye announced, smiling as she stopped near Fangmeyer. "If you would all take a moment and—"

Skye's statement got cut short as Fangmeyer caught her from behind, wrapping one paw around her neck and lifting her off the floor. When Harry stood quickly, Delgato and Spetz both raised pistols at him, motioning for him to sit, which he did immediately, though he kept watching Skye as she choked and thrashed, trying to free herself.

"Someone explain right now," Markus demanded, lifting Skye a little higher so he could glare at her when she tried to bite his finger. "This better be a good story, or I'm taking things out on this one. I don't like attending funerals based on a lie."

"Fangmeyer!" Judy shouted, bringing every head around to look her way. "Put her down, now!"

Markus hesitated, lowering Skye enough that her paws nearly brushed the floor, but then stopped. "Judy, what's going on? She said Nick was dead. Then she said you had died last night. None of that's true. Why should I trust anything she says? I was already on the verge of breaking her little neck, before I knew it was a lie. Now I want to even more."

Judy glanced at Nick, but he gave her a helpless "Your guess is as good as mine" look. Sighing, knowing she would have to take charge as usual, she stomped one hind paw and pointed at Fangmeyer. "I said, put her down! I'll explain when someone isn't being choked to death."

From the corner of Judy's eyes, she could see Cannus and Spetz had lowered their weapons, though both kept them drawn. Delgato had likewise drawn his own pistol, though he kept it on his lap. To her surprise, it was Delgato who gave a curt nod toward Fangmeyer, after which the tiger set Skye back on her hind paws, giving her a little shove to move her away from him.

"No one's choking…for now," Markus said, raising both paws to show he was relatively harmless.

For her part, Skye looked about ready to go entirely savage, as she snarled and stalked out of Fangmeyer's reach. She had even hunched slightly, a sign she was prepared to drop onto all fours to get away, if needed.

"Everyone calm down," Judy insisted, padding out into the middle of the open area, where she would be centered between Markus and Skye on one side, and the table with the other four on the opposite. Nick was being decidedly unhelpful, merely mimicking her attempts at placating gestures. "Agent Snow and Agent Harry made some questionable choices, but they did it to give us another chance at Rolen before he repeats what happened in Podunk. If you could save the city from that happening, how many of your friends and colleagues would you be willing to play off as dead? They'll face the courts when we're done, but for now, we have work to do."

The room remained very still, as the ZPD officers seemed to weigh the idea. Meanwhile, Skye remained hunkered nearby, rubbing her neck with one paw as she watched Fangmeyer for any aggressive movement. Finally, it was Delgato who spoke up.

"Welcome back from the dead," the lion told them, setting his pistol on the table and moving his paw away from it. "Someone want to tell me what we're actually doing, if it has something to do with Rolen? I'm guessing there's a hurry. Usually is with these things."

"We're going to travel…" Judy began, pausing briefly as Skye hissed at her to stop her from continuing. "…south into Rolen's old family lands. We need to intercept him before he disappears with potential military information."

In unison, both Skye and Harry slapped a paw to their foreheads.

"Who are we working for?" asked Fangmeyer, looking between Skye, Harry, and Judy. "If we agree to go, whose mission is this? I've turned down far better missions because my chain of command was terrible. Command killing off my team, then bringing them back isn't very inspiring."

"This is a ZBI mission," Judy answered, and could feel the palpable disappointment from the ZPD officers. "Nick and I will be working beside the two agents in leading the way."

"Not going to work for me," Markus said, shaking his head. "One leader. You can plan for as many contingency leaders as you want, but I'm not answering to four mammals, who I know won't agree on everything. By my damned tail, you and Nick can't even agree half the time, even on something as simple as lunch. You expect me to think these two will make things any less confusing? I will not answer to anyone who's been lying to me for the last week. I'll end up second-guessing them constantly, and probably shoot one or both sooner or later."

Judy looked to her right at Nick, trying to silently ask him his thoughts. He apparently understood, as he gave her an arm-flailing shrug. "I'll take unofficial lead, then. Agents Snow and Harry will relay any information through me, or Nick, if I'm unavailable. When we're in enemy territory, Nick will be the de facto leader, but I can still coordinate as needed. Will that work?"

This time, Fangmeyer and his partner stared, having silent communication the way Nick and Judy usually did, while Cannus and Spetz did the same. A few seconds later, Felix Spetz nodded and announced, "We're in. What about you two?"

Stan Delgato huffed, but nodded. "He's pissed at having to go along with anything the ZBI says, but we're in, too. When do we leave?"

"Excuse me!" Skye interjected, finally standing fully upright. "This is our mission, not a ZPD one and—"

"And you can be put right back into a chokehold, fox," Fangmeyer cut in, looming over her. "Fill us in on the details, or we'll just leave you here when we go. You're about two breaths away from me dragging your unconscious body back to Bogo."

Scowling, Skye adjusted her glasses, and made a point of moving a little farther from Markus. "Fine. Hopps has it about right. Tomorrow morning, anyone going is taking a flight into the deep southern jungles. We'll meet a contact there, who will provide cover and transportation into the main city, if we've missed Rolen's vehicle. I doubt we have. Assuming this goes according to our plan, Officer Fangmeyer will take out the vehicle on the road, well outside the city. We then schedule a pickup from the plane, and have either the books, or the books and Rolen's carcass on-board within forty-eight hours. Most of our preparation is in case things go wrong."

"Do they usually?" asked Cannus, cocking his head slightly. "This is a lot of preparation for something you don't expect to happen. You did kill off two of the ZPD's finest as a mere contingency."

Peeking out from behind his ears, Harry piped up. "We've come to expect Rolen to have a few dozen layers of plans in play at any given time. We have to do the same, or he finds a way to stop us routinely. Specifically, these two were on his hit list and we wanted them safe to move about without fear of their families being attacked."

"Okay, that I'll believe after having tangled with him," Cannus replied, leaning back in his chair. "We'll need guns. Lots of them. Clothes for the region. Maps. Anything else Felix?" Spetz shook his head. "Should be about it. We also need story time. I wanna hear how Wilde's standing over there looking smug, when I was at his funeral. I think I'm supposed to be attending Hopps's funeral in a couple days, but I may pass on it. Seems a little pointless."

Skye sighed and walked over to join the others at the table, with Fangmeyer following her over. "I can explain it, but it will take time. We already have most of the supplies you'll need. I have an entire briefing and slideshow for this…"

Nick cleared his throat, and Judy looked over to see he was motioning for her to follow him. As soon as she headed his way, he called out to Skye, "Hey, the two of us have some things to do back at the room, if you don't need us. The briefing will probably take a while, so I'm sure we'll be back in time."

"It will, and…wait… Dammit, Wilde," Skye groaned, taking off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her muzzle. "Keep it in your pants for one day. I'm not an idiot. I know why you two are going. You should be here for this briefing!"

Judy snickered, but kept quiet. She knew full-well Nick wanted to sneak out of the building as he had told her the night before. Better to let Skye believe something else entirely.

"You caught us," Nick said, shoving his paws in his pockets. "It's either you let us go get it out of our systems, or we'll be sneaking away every chance we get during your mission. If you want to stick with just imagining things and not seeing them, how about giving us a few hours? Maybe until this afternoon sometime? Better yet, we'll find you when we're done."

Skye glared at Nick, then rolled her eyes and looked over at Judy. "Hours? Is he serious, or is he trying to infuriate me?"

It took all of Judy's mental fortitude to not either laugh or blush. "Hours. Absolutely. Isn't that normal for foxes?"

"Not even remotely," Skye admitted, waving them away. "Fine. Go do whatever it is you plan on doing. I'll deal with the training issues. If I hear anything through the soundproof walls, I will turn a fire hose on you both."

"That's fair!" Judy offered, grabbing Nick's paw and heading out of the room as fast as she could.

In under a minute, they had found their way to the building entrance, and were out onto the city streets.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.5 – Change in Direction

 **August 21** **st** **, Saturday Mid-Morning – Happytown**

"You sure about this?" Nick asked, taking a knee in front of Judy. He took her paw in his. "I really hate getting separated again."

"Yes, I'll be fine," she insisted, kissing his cheek. "Only a half dozen mammals think I'm dead. You're the one who needs to be careful. Once I'm outside the city, no one will even know who I am. I'll be back this afternoon. Two and a half hours to the burrow, an hour to say my goodbyes and swear mom and dad to secrecy, then two and a half hours back. I'll be here before dinner. Snow might not even know I'm gone if we play up our story."

"She will, somehow. You know she'll have one ear pressed to the door the moment she's done with the others. I'm guessing she'll be willing to open the door by early afternoon. You're definitely getting caught this time, Fluff. There's no possible way Snow will think I'm good enough to keep you entertained for six hours."

"I know she'll probably catch us, but I have to do this. Once I'm out of town, she can't exactly stop me."

Nick nodded, knowing it was true. He had the same feelings with regard to his family, and he was not nearly as close to his mother as Judy was to her parents. As much as he wanted her to make a phone call, it would not be the same, and letting one's parents know you might die in a foreign land was not really the type of thing one could do over the phone.

"I hope you don't get in too much trouble for it," he told her, grinning at the irony that he was usually the one to get into trouble. He leaned in close, nuzzling her cheek with his muzzle, just below the base of her ear.

"I've learned Nick-to-normal-person translations," Judy warned him, hugging him tightly. "I love you, too. Next time, say what you really mean."

"Gotta keep you on your toes," he said in response, pulling away. "You better get going. The next train leaves pretty soon, and Happytown isn't all that close to the station."

Judy gave him one more of her beautiful grins, then hurried off toward the subway which would take her closest to the train station. He watched her go, smiling the whole time, as her grin had a habit of being infectious.

Once she was out of sight, Nick turned and headed the other direction down the street, though he doubted it was the shortest route to a bus stop. Instead, he made a point of dragging his tail, leaving a very clear trail for Skye or Cannus to follow, which would take them the wrong direction if they wanted to find Judy. He had far less traveling to do, and wanted to ensure if the ZBI came after them, Judy would have all the time she needed to get to the train.

Nick soon reached the stop, where he waited for the next bus, watching the road the whole time for Skye to appear. Thankfully, the bus came before there was any sign of Skye, and he boarded without any hint the ZBI had even noticed their absence yet.

Half an hour later, he walked off the bus without anyone having recognized him, and made his way through downtown, until he could see the Vulpine Estates retirement condo building in the distance. Seeing his destination seemed to force a quick reevaluation, and he stopped on the sidewalk, ignoring the mammals passing by him.

 _Gotta keep this short_ , he told himself, clicking his tongue in annoyance at being indecisive. _Stop by, tell mom I'm not dead, then say I've got a super-secret mission. In and out of there in five minutes, tops. Wait, wait, wait…she'll ask about the mission, and I can't tell her that. Okay, leave in a hurry after telling her the basics. No, she'll smack me on the ass with that damned cane, and tell me to sit down. Then what? New plan, knock, say hi, kiss her, then leave. I can run faster than she can. It's foolproof…if I don't look her in the eyes. If I do, we'll both be crying, and the plan's all over. Argh! Why is being dead so much trouble?_

Nick rubbed at his whiskers in frustration, and then set off again, keeping his head a little lower than he normally would going into the condo. He had talked to far too many employees in the last few weeks, and now they would recognize him. Knowing his mother, every employee had heard the heroic tale of her son's death, making things far trickier.

Running up the front steps of the condo, Nick slowed as he entered the front doors, watching the desk where two fox males were greeting visitors. One appeared to be setting up for a tour with a younger fox family who were likely evaluating the place for their elders, while the other was mostly dealing with phone calls. Nick stayed where he was in the entryway, until the fox on the phone turned his back to the lobby.

Nick moved quickly through the doors with his head up, to give the impression he both belonged there and knew where he was going. He padded swiftly past the desk, with little more than a wave from the family's female kit, to whom Nick waved back happily, before darting into the hall off of the lobby where the elevators were. A few button presses later, he was headed toward his mother's floor without anyone the wiser.

 _So I stop by the room…then what?_ he asked himself, resuming his internal debate as he watched the floor number slowly change. _I haven't written a note, so I'm stuck doing this in person. She'll absolutely scruff me the instant she opens that door. You're never making it back out of this building without hours of conversation and a home cooked meal, Nicholas Piberious Wilde. Worst plan ever. Maybe you are just a dumb fox._

The elevator doors opened, and Nick very nearly rode right back down without moving. It took a serious test of will to reach out his paw and catch the doors as they closed, and even more determination to walk off of the elevator. That was only the beginning, though, as he found himself in the hallway only twenty steps from his mother's condo, still with no plan.

As Nick stood there, trying to come up with some idea of what to do, he scratched under his shirt sleeves near the fresh scars, which had faded from constant pain to a dull burning sensation. When he pulled his paw away, he lifted it to blow loose fur off his claws, but stopped. Smiling slowly, he remembered seeing the tuft of his fur Judy had placed in the locket around her neck, which she had left back at his apartment before they went to the ZBI.

Nick walked down the hall, scratching through his fur in a way most mammals might have guessed to be mange or something similar. He slowly gathered enough fur that he was certain it could not be missed on the off-white carpet of the hallway.

Stopping in front of his mother's condo, Nick bent down and carefully arranged lines of fur on the carpet, making sure they would not blow away too easily. After the last one was set, he looked down the hall, spotting a window at the far end with thick curtains. He kept his attention on that, as he slammed his tail into the door, causing a muffled bang, as well as leaving his scent there.

The moment his tail connected with the door, Nick took off at a run toward the window, knowing he had precious little time before his mother came out. Sure enough, as he slid behind the curtain, he heard the door click open. The curtains were not quite flush with the floor, but the odds of seeing his hind paws in the inch between fabric and carpet was unlikely.

Turning in place behind the curtain, Nick slowly shifted so he could peek out, using the bright light from the window to ensure his mother would not be able to see any subtle details of his shape. He knew her eyesight was far from perfect, and the backlighting should ensure he was all but invisible.

His mother, Marian, stood in the doorway, looking back and forth down the hallway, clearly not understanding who had hit the door. She started to back into her condo without glancing down, but Nick saw the faint twitching of her muzzle as she sniffed the air. Her posture straightened abruptly, and her eyes widened. She immediately set aside her cane and searched the hall again, somehow missing the fox hidden in the curtains no more than four condos down from hers. Just as Nick began to wonder if she was going to return to the condo, she stopped with her toes near the fur he had left on her doorstep. Turning in place, she lowered her head, and squinted at the letters there. He knew instantly when she was able to make out "LUVU" for what it was, as her ears went straight up.

"My, my, my," she mused, far louder than necessary. "Young foxes always leaving a mess behind. I better clean this up before anyone else notices it. If only my Nick were here to help this old vixen out. I'd give him a piece of my mind, before I told him I loved him, too. Wherever he is, he'd better be taking good care of that bunny, so I don't have to track him down and reeducate him."

Nick remained still, watching with tears in his eyes as his mother gathered up the fur and folded it into a breast pocket of her shirt. She soon went back into the condo and closed the door behind her.

 _Not quite what I was hoping for, but it got the point across_ , he told himself, sliding his paws into his pockets as he made his way back toward the elevator. _Now, I don't have to worry about anyone else dealing with grief while I…_

The thoughts spiraled away as the condo door swung open, just as he was passing it. He froze, standing right in front of his mother, who leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest as she scowled.

"Where do you think you're going?" Marian demanded.

"I…have to get to work," Nick said, trying to find an escape route. "It's really important…I mean…I'm sorry…"

Shaking her head slightly, his mother reached back into the condo and brought forth a bag of trash, which she shoved into Nick's arms. "Be a dear and take that downstairs for me. I'd have my boy do it, but I hear he died serving his city. A real hero, that one was."

"I…trash?"

"My boy was so much more obedient," she insisted, winking at him. Under cover of pushing him toward the elevator, Marian clasped his paw briefly. "Run along now. You can tell the angry white vixen there were a few of us who had a hunch, but we can discuss that some other time. If she gives you any trouble, send her my way. I'd be happy to say a few things to her."

Nick could not make his legs move, even after his mother closed the door to the condo, leaving him alone in the hallway with the closed bag of trash. Swallowing hard, he finally made himself go, and he took the stairs down, rather than the elevator, to give himself even more time to think. When he tossed the trash into the dumpster alongside the condo building, he still felt empty and vaguely as though he had abandoned his only true family member.

With nowhere else to go, Nick simply started walking, though he kept himself away from any large groups. As a fox, that was easier than he cared to admit, as most mammals—even those several times his size—regarded him like a potential thief or mugger. Only a handful of times did he actually have to leave the sidewalk and take to alleyways to avoid attention from ZPD cruisers or larger groups.

Eventually, Nick came to a stop, his hind paws aching from the long walk without a break. He lifted his head, trying to get his bearings, but found he stood across the street from the ice cream shop where he had first met Judy. He knew that was no coincidence that he had steered there without conscious thought, as he had often sat somewhere he could watch the place during the days when he had believed Judy was dating someone else. The shop was so full of memories—now generally good ones—that he considered anywhere he could see it a personal hideaway, where he could work through his troubles, even if the owners of the shop itself had no desire to let him through the doors.

Nick looked up and down the street, seeing dozens of mammals moving between the shops and restaurants in the area. Any one of them might recognize him, and if they did, the scars on his arms, the pain Judy had gone through physically and emotionally, as well as all of the ZBI's efforts would be wasted. Rather than risk it, he moved to a nearby alley, where Finnick had routinely parked his van during their scams in that part of town.

Once he was comfortably hidden in the shadowed alleyway, Nick sat down in an abandoned lawn chair he found near a dumpster. The alley gave him a perfect view of the ice cream shop, without anyone being likely to notice him.

 _How much would be different if I'd never walked into that place?_ he asked himself, smiling. _Still hustling, assuming Rolen hadn't gotten half the city killed before he was done. I probably wouldn't even know there was a threat, until he came back and did the same thing to downtown that he did to Podunk. Once with a stolen weapon, and then weekly after he knows how to build them himself. Judy would be happily working herself to death without a care in the world. Gazelle would be dead by now if Rolen had gotten his way. So many little changes. Heck, by now Judy would have gotten promoted if she weren't saddled with training me. She might even be dating someone else, or possibly married. Who knows?_

A ZPD parking monitor drove past, making Nick sit up sharply in surprise. That had been Judy's job when he had met her. Now, an old goat appeared to be filling the role, though she never looked his direction.

 _If I hadn't gone into that shop, I'd never have met her_ , he reminded himself. _Nothing else matters. No reason to regret being dragged into any of this, if it would mean I never found her. Need to make sure that bunny knows how much she means to me, before I lose the chance. Too many risks for both of us already, and it's only going to get worse from here. Can't let a single opportunity to tell her I love her pass now. I don't even know how to explain to her that I don't feel like I was really living my life until she came along._

"Whatcha thinking about, Slick?" asked an all too familiar voice, as someone sat down on the pavement alongside his chair.

"I was thinking you should be arriving in Bunnyburrow right about now," he answered without taking his attention off the ice cream parlor. "And I was thinking about getting some sweets."

"You do mean buying, right?"

"Yes, buying. Of course."

Judy reached up, and took his paw in hers. "It's getting cold out, Nick. You can't convince me you like ice cream this far into fall."

"It's barely into fall. Besides, we won't know where the ice cream places are when we get to our vacation hotspot."

"It's not a vacation."

"Don't I know it? You aren't the one who was literally dying for this trip, Carrots."

"Har har," she mumbled, though he could tell her heart was not in the sarcastic laugh. "Why'd you come here?"

Nick looked down at Judy, who sat with her legs folded under her, ears down, and eyes on the same shop he had been watching. He had gotten sloppy, if she was able to sneak up on him from the other end of the alley. "Lot of good memories here, and it might be my last time visiting. How did you find me?"

"Came here for the same reason," she admitted, blinked slowly, then looked up at him. "I come here to reflect on the last year every so often, because it kind of feels like our first date location, even if it isn't. Almost ran into you when you were sitting here after work, while you were still dating Silvia. You looked really pensive, but I was too afraid to ask why at the time."

"Didn't know you stalked the ice cream parlor, too. Thought you were more sentimental about individuals, than places."

"I am. Gretta told me she saw you camped here during her parking rounds, while I was still in the hospital after Bellwether. I've got spies everywhere."

"You still didn't say why you aren't in Bunnyburrow," he reminded her, and she smiled before turning her attention back to the street.

"That is correct. I did not say why I'm not in Bunnyburrow. How's your mom?"

"More worried about you than me, I think. Still sly at her age. I decided to leave her a message, but she caught me anyway. I'm almost expecting her to show up on the mission."

Judy nodded, and squeezed his paw a little tighter. "I realized I couldn't tell my parents the truth. They'd try to stop me. They're barely okay with me working for the ZPD and dating a fox. Think how they'd react if I said I was strapping on a slave collar, and heading toward the worst place in the world for a bunny to live, after having my death faked."

"So you just decided to say nothing and let them think you're dead?"

"No, of course not," she chided, scowling at him. "I slid a note under Jack's door while he was at work. It doesn't explain much, but does let him know I'm alive and well, and for work reasons can't say more. Mom and dad will panic, but that's normal for them, and it's a good kind of panic. If we make it back, I'll tell them everything."

They remained in silence for a bit, until Judy started squirming on the hard pavement.

"You can sit on my lap if you want," Nick told her, cocking his head to look down at her with one eye. Just to tease, he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I fell for that game once in your apartment and never left. Be careful what you ask for."

"Just once? Pretty sure it was more than that, Fluff. Besides, I wasn't being crude this time. You were."

"Not gonna lie…you're corrupting me," she answered, giggling. The sound was still a delight, after hearing it so little of late. "Poor innocent bunny here, in case you forgot."

Nick looked down at his wrist, intending to check the time, but his watch was back at the ZBI building in his other clothes, along with his cell phone. "It's what…noonish?"

"It was almost one when I headed this way," she corrected. "Probably closer to two by now. You thinking about heading back?"

"Eventually," he told her, digging around in his pockets to see what he had remembered to bring. He had his wallet, minus his identification and credit card, and the collar Skye had given him for Judy. The wallet gave him a small amount of money, but not much else. "You remember what we did right before I went into the academy?"

Judy looked up at him in surprise. "Yeah. I was still on crutches, but losing my mind after being off my paws so long. I told you I wanted to be left alone, but you dragged me out of my apartment to get me some air, even when I argued with you that I couldn't walk. You almost got arrested for kidnapping me."

"And where'd we go?"

"You promised me a night on the town, seeing all the sights," she said, her expression distant as she seemed to be remembering. "We got on the Zootopia Loop train and circled the city, until it was dark out. It was really sweet, and probably was the only reason I didn't end up going crazy during recovery. Well…you were the reason I didn't. Still are."

Standing, Nick pulled Judy to her paws. "Let's go see the city, Fluff. If we miss our stop, we can just keep circling until we're ready to go back."

Paw-in-paw, they walked the three blocks to the train station, where they climbed aboard the Zootopia Loop. Intended as a way for mammals without regular transportation to get to the outer sections of any district, even if not serviced by any of the subways, the train was normally a good alternative to buses, depending on the destination. Given the way the train circled the city, it was a favorite among those with nothing better to do, or who were nursing hangovers—the reason Nick had learned to love the view from the train, after coming to save Finnick from the route more than once after the bars closed.

As soon as they were on board, Nick led the way to one of the upper floors, where the windows allowed for a better view. With most mammals getting on and off the train quickly, few would use those floors, unless they were teenagers looking for a secret make out place, and any of them who did find Nick and Judy up there would be in a hurry to go somewhere else, all but ensuring a little privacy as they spent their last day in the city together.

Loop after loop, the train circled the city, while Judy reclined against Nick, both of them watching the scenery pass without really seeing it. It was not until the sun began to descend that they finally sat up and began paying attention to the passing stations, looking for the one closest to Happytown.

"Think they noticed we're gone yet?" Judy asked, leaning on his shoulder once they had discussed having to wait three more stops.

"The sun's nearly to the hills west of town, so I hope so," he answered, trying not to openly laugh at the idea of Skye missing their departure for so long. "It's nearly seven. If she thinks I've got eight hours of stamina in me, you might be fighting off a vixen's attention again."

Judy elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "I've had to do that once before. Let's not have it happen again. Besides, it's not something I'm comfortable talking about when it comes to Snow."

The statement caught Nick a little off-guard. "Meaning what?"

"I think we were chosen to play roles, not just because of who we are," she explained. "She needs a pretend mate. I'm guessing Harry is planning the same game with me, if we spend any real time there. I know it's an act, but I'm not comfortable with it. I probably could convince myself it was okay if we were still trying to act like we weren't dating, but now it hurts a little."

Pulling Judy into a hug, Nick kissed the back of her head, between her ears. "You know me, Carrots. I can play the role. I'll ham it up. Don't believe any of it. I've kissed Finnick full on the mouth more times than I care to count to pretend he was my son. Kissing Snow might be a little more emotional work on my end, but it'll still be just part of a hustle. I'm your fox, as long as you'll have me. No matter what happens or what we have to do or say, know that's the truth."

"I know it is," she said, raising her ears slowly to lightly tap the sides of his face. "I just hope they know it."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 4.6 – Change in Direction

 **August 21** **st** **, Saturday Evening – Happytown**

"Do you think they're coming back?" Harry asked, sitting down beside Skye on the front steps of the old house they had reclaimed for the ZBI in the days following Rolen's attacks on the main ZBI office complex.

Skye jumped slightly at the words, having been lost in her disgruntled staring at the street. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there, but judging by the low sun and the ache across her backside and tail, it had been hours. "Not if they're smart. We need them. They don't need us."

"Think they have any idea what's in the journals?"

That soured Skye's mood even more. "We don't have any idea, so why would they?"

"We know what's not in there," he added, watching intently as a car drove past, then relaxing once it was gone. "You and I both know there's no bomb plans in there. Chemical weapons are more likely, but he'll have to develop anything useful from medical research. After all, we were still inventorying that damn room when Rolen came to town, so we know better than most what's in there."

"That doesn't mean he can't make weapons of some kind, sooner or later. Whether that bomb came from the wall storage or from his engineers in the south doesn't really matter. Either we intervene, or we'll watch half the city fall to war, the same way our ancestors did. Rolen's going home, and that's the real threat. The journals might not be usable for warfare, but I won't take that risk. He's coming for the city, and there are only a pawful of us ready."

Harry looked at her sidelong, his ears high. "Our ancestors weren't exactly on this side of the wall back then."

"No, but we are. Hundreds of years later, we're given the chance to prevent that all from happening again. I won't fail where others did. Another war between predator and prey is very likely to destroy every mammal's way of life for generations. I'll die before I see that happen."

"You're probably not wrong. We both likely will. The question is, how long do we wait to see if the others are willing to die to protect the city, too?"

Skye grumbled, but knew Harry was right. There was only so long they could or should wait. Sooner or later, she was going to have to accept that Nick and Judy had abandoned them. The plan could still succeed if everything went perfectly, but any failures along the way would likely end up with everyone dying. With Nick and Judy along, there was at least a chance of talking their way out of things, and maybe even recovering. Blending in required those two.

"I'll give them another hour," Skye said, folding her paws under her chin as she watched the darkening street. She nearly began a prayer, but realized the words that sprang to mind were a tribute to the Ursius family—the only prayer she knew. Having accepted Rolen to be not only mortal, but an enemy of civilization, she could hardly bare to utter his family name, let alone pray to them for help overthrowing the last of their line. "If they don't show by nine, we'll go to the safe house."

"It's not too late to let others handle this," Harry offered, sounding more sincerely worried than she had heard from him in the years she had known him, and definitely the most concerned since she had brought him to Zootopia. "We can still have the military ready themselves for what's coming. We don't have to be heroes."

Skye turned on the step to face Harry, and was immediately struck by his change in appearance. She had known he had been spending part of the afternoon preparing himself for the trip, but the removal of the dye in his fur was striking. Now, nothing was left to hide the scars on his arms and head—as well as the hidden scars all down his back under his shirt—making him seem so much weaker than he had just a few hours before. The changing of his suit for simple country clothing only furthered that sense of difference. He now looked the same as he had when she had known him outside Zootopia.

"The military knows there's a risk," she reminded him. "I spent months trying to convince them to act. I navigated every regulation, every law, and every barrier they put in front of me. They won't send an army into the south, even if the city _had_ one, even though you and I both know Rolen can raise ten thousand mammals in a matter of months, if the other warlords accept him back. We'll be lucky if the mayor so much as calls in extra trainees. As it stands, I doubt we'll see anything happen until the Ursians are on our doorstep. By then, the city will have been bombed, or poisoned, or who knows how many other awful things. You know as well as I do Rolen will do anything to prove his strength. The fact the south has taken him back means he accomplished his mission. They see him as a powerful ruler again. All he did here over the last year was just to retake his throne."

"You always worry too much, Skye."

"Snow. Please get it right."

Harry grinned, despite her anger at him never using the right name, except when others were around. "We're doing all we can. That's all anyone can ask of us. These aren't our people, no matter how much we try to be part of their city, and no matter what the ZBI has done for us. If they won't stand up for themselves, it's not our fault, and you are the one who told me that. What are you really afraid of?"

"You know I'm not afraid of anything happening to me, Harry."

"Name," he scolded, and Skye glowered at him, wondering if he had chosen to use his real name for the agency just so he could tease her about it. A Catch-22 like that was certainly his style of humor. "I know you aren't afraid of things happening to you, which is why I'm confused about you being this nervous. What's gotten under your fur?"

"I…I can't fail again," she admitted, setting aside her glasses, and rubbing her face. She really did feel tired, but there was no time to let herself get more than an occasional nap. "I've failed repeatedly. Now, I've broken almost every law on the books to build the team, compromising what little respect I had left for myself. This time, I'll see this through. No one else is dying because of me."

"We both know that's not true." Harry scooted a little closer, and Skye could not help but stare at him as though he were up to something. "Your family wasn't your fault."

"I could have done something—"

"No, you couldn't. You were a kit. That's not your fault, any more than my family's deaths were, even though I know you blame yourself there, too."

"They were my wards, my property, my responsibility. I kept my mouth shut when our masters began punishing them. Your scars should be mine."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Stop doing this to yourself, Skye. If you'd done anything, they'd have killed you, too. We both know it's true. Besides, you have more than your share of scars already. You've done so much good since you brought me to this city. I know you'll never think things balance out, but you need to find peace eventually. As for all the rule-breaking lately, I've told you plenty of times to blame me for pushing you that direction. We didn't have options left once the agency fell."

"I'll have balanced things out if I can stop a war," she snapped, wishing this was not a topic which bothered her so easily. "Until then, I have a lot to make up for. Do not lecture me about what's my fault, and what isn't. That's not up to you to decide."

Harry stared at her for a minute, as though weighing whether to argue. Instead, he stood up on the building stairs, so he was even with her face. She thought he might begin fighting her over what had happened again, but this time he leaned over her, kissing her squarely on the muzzle where her glasses normally sat. As he pulled away, he said softly, "I forgive you for anything that happened."

"Stop!" she snarled, backing away from him. The kindness felt wrong—something undeserved, especially from him. Acting out affection was something she could do as part of her job, but genuine tenderness made her strongly uncomfortable. "You're getting ideas from Wilde and Hopps."

"Hardly," Harry said dryly, sitting back down. "You're my friend and savior, Skye. I adore you, but I'm not trying to get into your pants. I don't know why I can't get that through your head about us bunnies, but our reputations are greatly exaggerated."

"Greatly?"

"Well…moderately," he said, grinning again. "Point is, I'm trying to be nice to you, so stop fighting me on it."

"We don't have time for friends," Skye reminded him, turning her attention back to the street. In the distance, she could see two mammals of dramatically different heights headed their way, but she refused to get her hopes up until she could see the smartass grin on Wilde's face. "If it comes down to it, I'll let you die to save the city, and I hope you'd do the same. It's part of the job description."

"You may take that seriously, but I never have. Rules are for uptight foxes. We bunnies are more practical."

Skye nearly forgot the two figures on the sidewalk, and stared at Harry in confusion. "Are we…are we really the worst examples of the stereotypes of our species?"

"Pretty much. Bunny who is too manipulative for his own good and has almost no sex drive, and a fox who wants to follow the rules, no matter the cost. We're terrible. It's also why I chose Wilde and Hopps for this. We needed mammals who weren't going to draw too much attention outwardly, even if they both are far more than they seem. They are flexible in ways we aren't."

"I still don't think Hopps can handle what we're asking of her," Skye admitted, squinting at the distant figures. Just as she started to straighten her shoulders excitedly, the pair disappeared into a fast food restaurant a block away. "She's far from timid. Too strong-willed. Too doting on him. Haven't been able to get a confirmation, but I believe she got sick after she thought him dead."

"Of course she got sick. She lost her lover. She didn't look like she was dying over it, and she was still more than capable of taking you in a fight. As for whether she's cut out for this, I agree…if we weren't bringing him along. She's the stronger of the two, but they work far better together than alone."

"So bring neither. We have the other officers to work beside us."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "Would you have let Lyra or Jaiden work as actual agents?"

"No. They're grunts. They can do amazing work, so long as they have a supervisor around."

"The four officers we're bringing are far more talented and able to adapt than Lyra or Jaiden, but they still can't work at our sides and blend in. They are soldiers, retrained to be police. They need to blend in apart from us, if we get to the point of even trying to. And if you call them grunts again, I'll tell on you."

Skye flicked her tail across the steps in agitation, but let Harry have his win. There was no sense in arguing further. Instead, she resumed watching the street in the hope her recruits would show up.

"You're actually worried, aren't you?" Harry asked, watching her rather than the street. "Worried they'll stand you up."

"Of course I am. You keep drilling it into me that we need them. We both knew they would run off, even when I tried to subtly encourage them to stay here and have sex in their room. Now I have to wait while pondering your assumptions we will fail."

"Skye, no matter how much you might think you're on a suicide mission, I don't. We can do this, but we're a lot less likely to get away with it if we don't have help. We need to trust others."

"Trust isn't in either of our nature."

"I'm well aware. But I trust you. You're my best friend—"

"Only friend, Harry."

"—and I will follow you right back to where we started if I have to. I'm not letting you do this alone, even if the others don't come back."

Skye turned to look at the bunny, who stared up at her as though placing the weight of the world on her narrow shoulders. "Why are you so nice to me, Harry? You should hate me by now. You always should have. I've been a bitch to everyone for the sake of the job, but you never seem to let it get to you. I was your owner for years. That has to still haunt you."

"Nothing that happened was your fault. I'll keep saying it until you believe it. Owning someone on paper doesn't mean you have control over what the rest of society does to them. You didn't do any of those things to us. Bear's bones, you even got yourself collared as a slave for trying to free us. That's more than anyone can ask for. Even if you quit right now and walk away, you're still a hero to me. I just wish others saw it, but you're too busy pushing them away."

"I've tried pushing you away, too, but you keep coming back. You followed me all the way to Zootopia."

"I'm a glutton for punishment," he said, smirking. "Besides, Hopps isn't the only bunny with a best friend who's a fox. Where would I be without you?"

"In a collar, nearly a thousand miles away. Right where we're going." Shaking her head, Skye reached into her coat pocket, and pulled out the collar Harry would be wearing soon. "This time, I'm the one putting you back in this thing."

"I'd rather it be you than anyone else. At least you know how to get them off. Speaking of which, may as well get that taken care of. Not like I'm going to be touring the city before the flight tomorrow."

Skye nodded, but could not take her eyes off the collar. She had fought so hard to get Harry and others out of them, only to choose a plan which undid that work. It felt like a betrayal, even if Harry did not see it that way. She began to put the collar back into her pocket, unwilling to see it on him again, but he caught her wrist to stop her.

"It has to be done. We both know it. No collar and I can't go. If I can't go, we're in a world of hurt on the inside, since you didn't exactly spend long as a loyal slave. Put it back on me, Skye. I'm okay with it."

Skye hissed instinctively, trying to convince herself to be as calm as she usually attempted to present herself. What lurked within her own mind was far less willing to agree to her act. Despite her reservations, Harry leaned toward her, offering his neck, leaving little choice in the matter. With a lump in her throat, she put the heavy collar around his neck and slid the clasp together. She hesitated just shy of where the clasp would click shut, knowing once it did, it would take a monumental task to remove the collar again without killing Harry in the process.

"You're way too sentimental sometimes," he chided, reaching up to put his paw over hers. He squeezed, forcing the collar to snap shut. As it did, the metal pin in the clasp pricked Skye's thumb, permanently identifying the mammal in the collar as hers. "See? Easy."

"I'm sorry," Skye said, putting her arms around Harry. "It kills me to do this to you. To anyone."

"It's fine. I knew what I was getting into." He attempted to hug her back, but his arms did not come close to reaching all the way around her.

Skye held the hug a little longer than she had intended, surprising herself at how much she had missed being close to anyone. The gentle moment faded abruptly as her keen sense of smell let her know she was no longer alone with Harry. Looking up, she found Nick and Judy standing on the sidewalk, staring at them with wide eyes, their paws clasped together.

"We can give you another twenty if you want," Nick offered, his surprised expression fading into a smirk and eyebrow-wiggle. "Ten if it's been as long as I'm guessing based on your attitude."

"And now everything's awkward," Harry bemoaned, pulling away from Skye, though she somewhat wished he had not. "Thanks, Wilde. Really needed that. Extra tension before a big mission is definitely what we all needed."

"I know a sure-fire fix for tension," Nick added, the smirk growing wider, as he turned his attention to Skye. At his side, Judy scowled at up him, shaking her head sadly. "I can draw you pictures and diagrams, if you need."

Disgusted, Skye stood quickly, brushing off her slacks. Thankfully, Judy seemed just as bothered by the remarks, as she began jabbing Nick with one finger. "Not everyone is sleeping with their partners, Wilde."

To Skye's surprise, it was Judy who spoke up next. "Maybe not everyone's got things as figured out as we do."

Beside Skye, Harry began snickering, barely containing laughter.

"He's half my size!" Skye objected, before realizing who she was saying that to.

"So's my girlfriend," Nick replied, shrugging. "What's your point? You just find a way to make it work."

Huffing, as much in frustration as dismay at being put on the spot with a topic she was not comfortable with, Skye pointed toward the building. "Everyone inside, now! We'll go over your gear and supplies, then everyone will get some sleep. We leave at zero-four-hundred."

"Yes, mom," Nick said, leading Judy past Skye and Harry and into the building.

Skye remained on the step after the two officers were out of sight. "Harry. You, too. Move it."

Grinning, Harry got to his paws and stopped in front of her. "Whatever you say…mom."

Before Skye could object, Harry ran inside, escaping any scathing thing she might have managed to come up with. Sighing, she marched after her troops, wishing she did not actually feel more like a den mother than a ZBI field agent.

To Skye's immediate relief, she found things to be immensely more professional within the front room of the building. The other ZPD officers—Markus Fangmeyer, Carl Cannus, Felix Spetz, and Stan Delgato—had been left there with a pile of supplies Milo and Skye had guessed they might need, along with military backpacks. The four had unpacked their supplies, and had taken to slowly repacking so they knew what was in there. Somehow, only seconds later, Nick and Judy had joined them and were inspecting their own packs, which had been set aside for them. Within minutes, the silence in the room was broken only by the sounds of weapons being checked, and items being shoved into packs.

"What's this?" asked Nick, holding up a vacuum-sealed bag, which he sniffed at. "I've got a bunch of these."

"Food rations," replied Markus, without looking up from his own packing. "Ditch them if you're caught. They'll give us away in an instant."

"And this?" Nick held up a small electronic device.

"That will alert our agents to pick us up," Skye explained, when no one else leapt in to answer. "You each have one. Turn it on, and the rescue team will head our way."

A minute passed, but then Nick looked toward Skye again, and she felt herself tense in anticipation of the next question. "I have a problem."

"Not surprised," Skye replied, walking over. "What's the issue this time?"

Nick pointed at his pack, which was a mess. "Have you picked one of these up?"

"I have."

"It weighs as much as I do," Nick said, kicking the backpack. "I thought we were sneaking in."

"We are. These contain anything you might need over the course of the trip, in case we—"

Rolling his eyes, Nick began pulling items out of the pack and throwing them into the corner of the room. "Food can be found there. I'll bring enough for two days, until we get our bearings. One change of clothes, not five. Do mammals really travel around that region with a week of clothing on their backs? One handgun, not six. One's going to be bad enough if we're caught. Flares? No. No one carries those, unless they're up to something. Almost everything in here is just asking for us to get picked off. Who packed these, anyway? Did they include a big Zootopian flag?"

Skye stared in dismay at Nick, as he threw more items over his shoulder. Slowly, she looked at the others, who were watching with rapt attention. One by one, they began dumping out their backpacks and starting over. Soon, nearly everything she had put in those bags was on the floor, and all six ZPD officers carried no more than the average mammal out camping.

"Told you they were good," Harry whispered at her side, smiling as he bounced lightly on his toes. "I also told you ZBI protocol was going to be overkill. We didn't need six sets of pots and pans."

Skye blinked hard, her skin prickling at the idea of having so little available to them. "What about insect repellent? Or the local colloquialism dictionaries for them? Tourniquets? Splints? Or…?"

Grabbing her paw, Harry led Skye from the room, while she tried to find words for how dangerous it would be to leave things behind. "Let's get some sleep. They aren't going to listen to us anyway. Either this works or it won't. Dictionaries won't help."

"I…I…but if…argh… I can't plan for everything that could go wrong."

"So stop trying."

Skye forced Harry to a stop, and pulled her paw free. "I have too much to do to try sleeping right now."

"Like what?"

Mouth working wordlessly, Skye found she had no clear answer. "Go over the flight plans?"

"You've done that twenty times, and you're not even the one flying. Sleep. Now. I'm staying in your room to make sure you actually _do_ get some rest for once." Skye started to object, but Harry waved away her concerns. "I slept at the end of your bed for four years, when we were kits. Just because the collar isn't real, doesn't mean I have to stop looking out for you. Your dad made me swear to keep you safe, long before things got complicated. C'mon. I'll tuck you in."

Reluctantly, Skye followed, letting Harry take her paw and drag her to her bed. It did not take her long to change into night clothes, and climb into the bed, with Harry hopping up beside her. As hard as it was for her to admit, having someone there—even someone who quietly helped tuck her in—was a relief in a sense. She did not have to be the one responsible for everything. At least, not until morning.

For the first time in weeks, Skye fell soundly asleep under the sheets, this time with her former slave on top of the blankets in her arms. She only woke once, when she caught herself nuzzling his ears, but thankfully he did not wake to make fun of her for the mistake.


	5. Chapter 5

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.1 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 22** **nd** **, Sunday – Zootopia Expansion District Thirteen**

"You can't be serious," Nick said, dropping his pack on the ground, almost on Judy's hind paws, though neither of them seemed to notice.

The six ZPD officers and two ZBI agents stood in front of a battered old plane, which looked better suited to a museum than an airstrip, and downright skeletal in the pre-dawn light. Not that the plane was actually on an airstrip. The "runway" was little better than an abandoned road paved years prior for an expansion of Zootopia toward Deerbrook County, which had never happened. Worse still, at least in Nick's mind, was Milo Scurrin sitting in the pilot's seat, likely with the help of a large pillow to raise himself high enough to reach the controls.

None of the mammals looked ready for travel, and even less like ZPD or ZBI. They had all changed into Ursian clothing, consisting of lightweight pants coming down to mid-shin, and vests or sleeveless shirts of varying quality fabric, aside from Milo, who was in regular street clothes. The combination of fear and unfamiliar clothing left Nick staring at the plane, while picking at spots where his fur bunched in the soft fabric.

"Perhaps you missed the briefing," Skye replied testily, hoisting her pack onto her back. "We have almost no agents left. Fewer still who can pilot a plane. Milo is…essentially qualified."

Judy squeaked beside him, and Nick reached down to put a reassuring paw on her shoulder, as he glared at Skye. "Essentially? I thought he was your surgeon? You said there were eight agents left. Surely we can call on someone else to fly a plane. Do the others even know what we're doing?"

"Best not to think too hard on it," Harry told them, walking past with his pack. Fangmeyer and Delgato followed him without any hint they were bothered by the situation, while Spetz and Cannus slowly made their way over, eyeing the plane warily the whole way.

With a rattling groan, the plane's propellers began to spin, making Nick question his decision to go along even more. Thankfully, Judy took the choice away from him, grabbing his paw and leading him toward the plane. Skye came right behind, as though prepared to gather up any stragglers—by force, if required. Without her glasses, she was far less intimidating, but still gave off the feel of someone used to wrangling uncooperative animals.

Nick walked until he reached the ladder onto the plane, which appeared to have been a makeshift replacement for a broken staircase. Thankfully, the door looked to be intact. Still, he could not quite bring himself to climb aboard, until Judy had scrambled all the way up to the inside of the plane and reached back down for him.

"C'mon, Slick." She beckoned with one paw, and finally Nick forced himself to climb the ladder.

Inside the plane, things were even worse than outside. Most of the interior had been scavenged, leaving bare frame and access to the exterior walls, aside from wooden planks for a floor, and a set of benches along either side made from scrap lumber. One of the small windows had duct tape across a large crack.

"It'll fly," Skye insisted, coming up the ladder behind Nick. She shoved him out of the way, and continued over to the far side of the compartment, where she took a seat near Harry. "We couldn't afford seatbelts, so I recommend holding on tightly. We've got a tight schedule. Milo won't be waiting around."

"Afford?" Spetz asked, sitting up sharply. "You're telling me the ZBI doesn't have equipment of their own?"

Skye squirmed a bit in her seat. "They do. I don't know where any of it is stored. I wasn't privy to that information before we were attacked. Now, information is difficult to piece together. We're more or less doing this out of our own experience and savings. The ZBI doesn't have any way to help us. My request for access to the ZBI database of resources is still sitting on the mayor's desk."

The plane's engines roared even louder, and Delgato leaned out to pull in the ladder and slam the exterior door. Once Nick was trapped and the plane closed off, everyone took a seat on the benches, other than Nick, who stared numbly at the cockpit, while Judy motioned him to sit.

"What are we supposed to hang onto?" he asked, looking for ceiling handles like on the subway.

In response, the four larger ZPD officers grabbed the metal frame of the walls, as the plane lurched and began moving.

Rushing over to Judy, Nick sat down hard and grabbed one of the beams with both paws.

"Next stop, the Ursian Territories!" shouted Milo from the front of the plane, though his cackling laugh did nothing to soothe Nick's nerves. "Everyone hang onto your things. Gear bags in your laps. Parachutes are near the door. Kiss your tails goodbye if you smell smoke. Here we go!"

Nick's whole body went cold, as he saw a row of parachutes hanging on the wall near the door he had entered through. "Snow…you said I wouldn't like how we were landing."

"You're right," Snow shouted back, as the engine drowned out most sound. "You won't."

Nick pointed at the parachutes and gave her a questioning stare, to which she merely smiled back and gave a very slight nod.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," Nick chanted, clinging to the frame even more tightly. To his surprise, Judy appeared entirely calm beside him. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

Judy looked up, cocked her head, and shrugged. Pointing to her ears, she showed him large earplugs she was wearing, most likely to deal with the noise of the engines. She had heard nothing of his conversation with Snow, though she did jump and cling to his leg when the plane rocked and left the ground.

"Why wasn't this discussed earlier?" Nick demanded, looking from one mammal to the next. Most ignored him completely, and Fangmeyer appeared to have already gone to sleep. "I have no idea how to skydive!"

"We'll take care of it!" Skye yelled, glaring at him. "Tandem jumps. You and I will use one chute. Judy and Harry another. I think all of the others have done this before."

One by one, the other four officers nodded. Somehow, that was less than reassuring.

"You only need to worry about one thing," Skye continued, motioning toward Harry's collar. "Make sure it's on her before we call for the jump. You have four hours for the flight south and the time to skirt the border. We'll be putting down right near the northernmost city, so we need to be ready for them to see us."

"That can wait until I'm done pissing myself!" he snapped at Snow, putting one arm around Judy, and attaching the other onto the metal bulkhead as tightly as he could without his fingers going numb. She looked up at him quizzically once, but then closed her eyes to rest again.

Several times over the next half hour, Milo shouted something back at them, but it was lost in the propeller noise. After the third time Nick saw the lemur lean over to yell, the plane seemed to ease its shaking and the engines quieted significantly. Soon, everyone except him seemed to have relaxed, as though the worst was past them. He was eventually able to pick up on a slight change in the level of the plane, hinting that it was no longer climbing.

"Some last-minute things," Skye told Nick, leaning toward him so she did not have to yell quite as loudly. "You got the sleeping bags I left out this morning?"

"Yep." Nick could barely manage to speak through the tightness in his stomach and the pain in his arms from clinging to the wall.

"Good. I added a laptop to your bag, too. Bogo wants a full report when we return. Figured I'd let his own officers write them."

Nick turned to glower at Skye. "Wait…Bogo knows what's going on?"

Skye's muzzle slowly creased into an amused smile. "Yes, he does. Why do you think he didn't kill Harry or I when we began manipulating you? The deal was that we could run the missions as we saw fit, but we had to provide constant written documentation of anything we did which broke laws or policy, so he can have our management prosecute us if things go badly."

"Your management?" he asked. "Who is Bogo discussing this with?"

Skye pointed at the front of the plane. "Milo has been pretending to be the acting director. Bogo will be very upset when he finds out, but I doubt the ZBI will be in any shape to fight back. Now that we aren't hiding our situation anymore, we still need to provide reports to Bogo. That's now your job, since he is one of the few aware you are alive."

"You're giving me homework?"

"They do have laptops down there, Nick. It won't be out of the ordinary, and may be useful to have. We didn't have a laptop sized for the others, so you got mine."

"What kind of porn am I going to find on it, agent?"

Skye's calm broke, and she glared at him far longer than he had expected. "If I can't hide things on a computer from you, my training wasn't worth the time."

"Bunny porn. Right." Nick grinned at Skye, despite her continued glowering. "Someone should tell Zippy."

"Zippy can hear you just fine," replied the male rabbit from Skye's far side, his eyes still closed. "Would master fox like me to fetch his slippers and his good porn?"

Nick laughed, somewhat surprising himself at being able to find humor in anything Harry said. "We're slumming it, so let's go with the bad porn."

From across the plane, Delgato opened his eyes and said just loudly enough for Nick to hear, "I've detained Finnick often enough on my shifts. Unless Judy's gotten Nick more cultured lately, I'm guessing he's only ever seen bad coyote porn."

Opening his mouth to object, Nick instead nodded and shrugged, before looking down at Judy. Thankfully, she appeared to be blissfully unaware of the conversation with her earplugs still in, looking through a book for tourists.

"You know it," Nick finally answered. "All coyote porn, all the time, unless I'm making my own with some bunny. Not naming any names."

Judy turned the page of her book as he finished speaking, but then loudly announced, "If you believe a word of what he's saying, you're in for some serious disappointment. Also, if he keeps talking like that, he's in for a very long time sleeping on the couch when we get back."

Nick's good humor faded as the rest of the plane chuckled at his expense. "Fine. Be that way. New topic…when do we get there?"

"We'll begin descent in about an hour, so we stay well under their older radar systems. Just under two hours until we're over the landing zone," Skye replied, huffing slightly, though she looked decidedly relieved at the change of topics. "Milo will connect with our spies down there, and we should have more information about timing before we have paws on the ground. Rolen's car was delayed by paid locals along the route, so we should have a full day before he reaches our location."

A sudden violent rattle of the plane left Nick clinging to the bulkhead again, while Fangmeyer and Delgato grinned across at him.

"Just turbulence," Delgato explained. "If we were crashing, it'd be a lot worse. Markus and I have both been through crashes. Actually, that's where we met after our plane went down during a training exercise."

Nick looked down at Judy, and saw she was watching him with barely-contained panic. Maybe she was not as immune to the stress and uncertainty of the trip as he had begun to think. Despite his desire to keep both paws on something relatively stationary, he brought his right arm down across her shoulders, pulling her close.

"We're fine," he said out loud, as much for himself as for Judy. "Land, pick up a bear, come home. Maybe take two or three days of vacation down there. Come home, get medals, go back to work. Entirely routine."

"No medals," warned Skye, watching Nick with some degree of worry. "We can't ever talk about doing this. If we do this right, no one will ever know. It's how it has to be. Outside this plane, Bogo may be the only living mammal aware of what we did."

"Bar bragging rights?" Nick tried, but Skye shook her head again. "Surely we get free drinks out of this?"

"When and if you go back to the ZPD after this, we have to lie." She frowned deeply. "No one will ever know the truth. You may even take the blame for your faked death. We haven't sorted out how we're cleaning up afterward. We used to have a team for that, but they're…gone."

From across the plane, it was Spetz who spoke up, surprising Nick. "She's trying to say they'll deny everything and blame us. Standard military protocol when we're caught doing something illegal, even if they asked us to. They'll protect us, but they won't make us heroes. Given how bad things are with the ZBI lately, and how much they've messed up already, I expect we'll be digging ourselves out of this for years."

To Nick's dismay, both Skye and Harry nodded.

"Oh that's just lovely," Nick grumbled, thumping the back of his head against the metal wall of the plane. "Save a city, get treated like criminals. Someone want to remind me why I stopped being a criminal?"

Cannus grinned broadly. "Your answer is sitting beside you. Do you need us to spell it out?"

Looking down, Nick found Judy was staring up at him with a cheesy grin, wiggling her eyebrows.

 _Maybe they're not wrong_ , he thought, kissing the top of her head. _At least I get to blame the sly bunny for making me an honest cop, or whatever we are now._

"Get some rest," announced Harry, a moment later. "In a few hours, this is going to get really busy. Even if we're done by tonight, everyone needs to perform at their best."

Hugging Judy a little tighter, Nick tried to settle his nerves, but found himself staring at the wall for a while longer. Slowly, he managed to unclasp his fingers from the bulkhead and slide that paw into his pocket, where the collar for Judy still remained hidden. He pulled it out and examined it, feeling the same sense of disgust as when he had held the collar meant for him.

"Better now than later," he told himself softly, and Judy tilted her head to look up at him again, apparently having heard either his voice or the sound in his chest. "We should get this over with."

Without saying anything, Judy sat up and leaned forward away from him, using one paw to sweep her ears up and out of the way of her neck. Though it would have only taken a moment to click the collar into place, Nick tapped her shoulder and motioned for her to turn around, which she did, facing him, those huge eyes watching him expectantly.

"It's not forever," he reminded her, sliding the collar around her neck, with his nose almost touching hers. "We'll get this off you the instant we're back on the plane."

Judy smiled and kissed the top of his muzzle. "I know. I trust you."

Though the movement made him feel ill, Nick closed the collar, until the clasp was a hair's breadth from clicking. Remembering what Skye had told him, he moved his thumb onto the top of the clasp before finishing locking the collar. A sharp sting lanced through the pad in his thumb, and he felt the lock shake as it made itself more or less permanent.

"So what happens if we try to remove it early?" Nick asked, keeping his face near Judy's.

"Nothing good," Skye explained. Holding out one of her paws, Nick saw from the corner of his vision that she had deep scars across much of her palm and pads. "These ones won't explode, but the old ones did. They didn't tell us, whether slave or master. Even these have just enough lightweight explosives in it to kill the wearer and seriously hurt whoever is trying to remove it, but it's inert. Many smaller mammals learned that the hard way, or saw it happen to someone. I, thankfully, only found the metal banding, designed to cut the paws of anyone trying to remove them."

"How many died before Milo figured it out?" asked Judy, turning slightly to watch Skye.

"Eight." The vixen looked away, shivering slightly. "Eleven more died when their collars were remotely detonated during escape. Nineteen mammals gave their lives before we managed to get the first collar off. Two more died when we did not get things perfected immediately. Now, we've gotten removal to be almost flawless."

"Almost?" Nick demanded, sitting up straight. "What do you mean…almost?"

"I mean there's always a chance of it going wrong. Don't worry. Harry and Judy both have collars with no trigger, though they have the explosives, in case anyone checks. The collars will be hard to remove, but at worst they'll get burned fur when the collar overloads trying to blow up. I'm explaining so you don't do something stupid, like try to free half the bunnies of the south as a misguided attempt at adoption."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nick answered, leaning back against the wall with Judy settling back into his arms. "All the bunnies I want to adopt come to Milo for collar-removal first. Is there any question or topic that doesn't end up going a weird direction with this group?"

"Not many," Fangmeyer said, barely loud enough to be heard over the engines. "Get some sleep, Wilde. I know you can keep coming up with 'what if' scenarios all day, but it's a waste of time. We'll deal with it when and if it happens."

Nick started to object, but he knew there was no point. Relaxing, he adjusted his grip on the wall and Judy, as he watched the other officers settle in. Soon, he could not see anyone who was still awake. How they could be so calm only an hour or two before entering the lands of a sworn enemy, he could not fathom. He decided to ask Judy if she understood, but when he looked down at her, she was curled against his side, snoring softly.

"And here I thought I could count on you to tell me the right thing to do," he whispered, stroking Judy's head near her ears.

Judy squirmed against him, snorting softly as she slept. Just as he started to relax and close his eyes, he swore he heard her mumble, "Love that idiot" before going back to soft breathing. Once she settled down again, Nick let himself gradually drift off, the sounds of the plane drowning out his thoughts and concerns, until at last his mind began to calm and sink into a deep sleep. Gradually, his awareness of the plane's shaking faded into a vague dream about riding the Zootopia Loop with Judy, the train rumbling endlessly around the city. In the dream, he told her how much he loved her, and nervously asked her whether she could see spending her life with him. Rather than answering, she sat up, leaning in to kiss him…

An abrupt lurch of the plane—the train in his dream—shook Nick, jarring him nearly awake. He gazed half-asleep at the others, barely registering that they were scrambling around, and even Judy was on her paws, grabbing a parachute from the far side of the plane. He had barely sat up before she was in front of him, bouncing on her toes with a parachute for him.

"I can't possibly have been out for hours," he mumbled, rubbing his face as he took the parachute, and began searching for his regular pack. Fear lingered at the edge of his mind, but he was not awake enough to register it yet. "What's going on?"

Judy frantically began fitting the straps of Nick's parachute around his shoulders, attaching the other pack below it with snaps. "No time, Nick! We're going down!"

"Down?" he asked, any sense of sleepiness falling away instantly. "What do you mean, down? There's hard ground down from here. You mean we're landing?"

"Falling!" she answered, yanking the last strap of his chute hard enough he gasped until he could loosen it slightly. "Something hit one of the engines right before you woke up. Milo said he hopes it was a bird. A really big bird."

Nick's mouth went dry. "He _hopes_? What else could it be?"

"Possibly lightning, but the locals may have seen the plane and decided not to ask questions before shooting us down," Skye cut in, her own pack already on. Her usual glasses had been replaced with goggles. "Judy, get over to Harry. He'll handle your landing. Nick, you're my partner. No time for lessons."

"What does that even mean?" Nick demanded, as Judy ran over to the door of the plane, where the others had gathered. Harry moved to intercept her, adjusting straps on his chute. "We're falling out of the sky?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Skye answered, walking up to him. She grabbed the front of Nick's chute and pulled him off the bench, forcing him to stand. Before he could object to the rough handling, she spun him around so he was facing the wall, as she clipped parts of her harness onto his shoulders and hips. "Move with me, Nick. This is going to be awkward until we're in the air."

"How far down are we…hey…careful!" he grumbled as Skye dragged him across the plane, forcing him into line behind Harry and Judy, who were buckled together in the same fashion. "How far are we talking? And how far are we from where we meant to land?"

Skye's reply was nearly drowned out in a rush of wind and noise as Fangmeyer threw open the door, revealing trees for miles around, though far below the plane yet. Torrential storms raged around them, spraying rain throughout the cabin of the plane, while lightning flashed somewhere nearby. "Not nearly far enough from the ground. Miles from our intended target." Turning, Skye looked toward the cockpit. "Milo! Move it!"

Hurriedly clipping on his own chute, the mouse lemur ran into the main part of the plane, taking his place behind Skye. "Sorry, sorry. Had to use bungee cords and duct tape to keep the plane level for now."

"Bungee cords are flying the plane?" Nick asked, tasting a bit of bile as he tried not to throw up. "Am I the only one freaking out here?"

"No," answered Cannus, patting Spetz on the shoulder. "We're just too scared to show it until we hit the ground."

"Please don't say 'hit'!" Judy yelled over Harry's shoulder. "Land! When we land!"

Skye motioned toward the door, and Fangmeyer nodded grimly. He took one long stride out into the open air and vanished as the winds took him. A second later, Delgato followed him out, then Cannus and Spetz took their turns, though with far more hesitation. Next up was Harry, pushing Judy toward the door as she fought to keep from getting any closer.

"No time to argue!" shouted Harry, and he threw himself sideways out the door, taking Judy with him.

"We're gonna be okay, right?" Nick asked, as Skye forced him up to the edge of the door. He tried not to look down at the trees far below, which seemed to be slowly spinning. The plane was making a wide spiral. "You do this all the time?"

Smiling at him with her muzzle near his cheek, Skye answered, "Sure, we'll be fine. I read a book on this. First time jumping."

Nick tried to scream at her, but she drove him forward and out the door. Suddenly, the world was a spinning mess and his words turned into mindless shrieks for a time. After a few seconds, Skye managed to roll them in the air, leaving her on top and Nick underneath, facing the ground, which was coming toward them far faster than he would have liked.

"I think…I think I'm gonna vomit!" Nick yelled over his shoulder.

"We're falling, you idiot!" she said near his ear. "You'll splatter yourself. Vomit when we land!"

In a vain attempt to keep himself distracted, Nick searched the skies below and around them for the others. Far off to his left, he could see Fangmeyer and the two bunnies falling toward a large lake. To his right, he saw Delgato. Try as he might, he could not find Cannus, Spetz, or Milo anywhere.

"I'm pulling the chute in twenty seconds," Skye warned. "This landing is going to be rough. I'm going to aim for the clearing slightly right of center."

"We can aim?" Nick asked, his eyes glued to the clearing.

"We…might be able to? I lied about not having jumped before, but I really haven't ever done this part. My senior agent was controlling the chute last time."

Nick squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the chute to open. Vague movement against him hinted Skye was doing something, but their fall continued. After he counted to thirty, he opened his eyes and saw the trees still coming rapidly.

"Chute's not working!" Skye yelled, her paws moving to his own chute. "We'll be fine! We've got backups!"

Nick could no longer stop himself. He let out a blood-curdling scream the whole rest of the way down, until their secondary chutes opened and they plummeted into the trees easily a mile off from their target. He only stopped screaming when they crashed through wet tree branches, then slammed into the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of him, but soft enough he did not believe anything was broken.

Panting, Nick ripped apart the buckles holding him to Skye and rolled onto his side, clawing at the wet ground, as though it might get away from him. He whined softly, pressing his cheek into the mud, thankful he was alive.

"That could have gone better," admitted Skye, lying on her back, staring up at the trees overhead. "Or worse. Much worse. I'm going to call that textbook recovery. No one died, no one broke their legs or spine."

Laughing despite himself, Nick adjusted to more fully face her. "We have a different plane for leaving, right?"

"Not yet," she told him, sitting up. She removed her parachute, and remained where she was, brushing off her clothes. Almost as an afterthought, she pulled off her goggles and tossed them aside. "We'll figure it out. We got lucky, considering."

Reaching back, Nick unbuckled the emergency chute he was wearing, and pulled it into his lap so he could remove the regular backpack from it. He stared at the pack briefly, then looked back at Skye, whose parachute lay on the ground alongside her.

"Where's your pack?" he asked. When she gave him a confused stare, he pointed at her parachute. "Where's your backpack? Your gear?"

Skye reached for her chute, fingers touching the dangling straps which should have attached to her backpack. Both buckles and part of the straps themselves were sheared off. "I'm guessing in the trees somewhere. This isn't good, Nick."

"We still have a few meals and a handgun," he noted, forcing himself to sit up. "I've got all my stuff. Shouldn't be anything important we lost."

"We're down to one sleeping bag, one meal each, a laptop, and the clothes on our backs…which are the items I am not concerned about. Maps, GPS, and all information for contacting our local agent was in my pack. We do have the emergency beacon, though," Skye explained, her shoulders sinking. "We have a second copy of the maps in Harry's pack. We need to find him, or we're in a lot of trouble."

"Okay." Nick got to his paws, shaky as his legs were. "Let's get hiking. We're not stopping until we find everyone."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.2 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 23** **rd** **, Monday – Outer Contested Lands**

"Judy? Wake up, Judy."

The voice felt vaguely familiar, but not one her mind could put a name to immediately. Instead, she tried to roll over and pull the blankets up to her chin, assuming it was Nick trying to get her attention long before it was time to be awake for the day. She could not find the blankets with her fingers, and opted instead to settle for throwing one arm over her face.

Distantly, the other voice kept urging her to wake, but Judy gave a throaty grumble and tried to go back to sleep. She was not entirely sleepy, but the desire to stay where she lay was strong. Eventually even that began to sink in as odd, and she forced her eyes open, lifting her arm to see what was going on around her, and why her tail and paws felt damp.

She lay at the foot of massive trees, far larger than she had ever known in the Bunnyburrow area growing up. The first branches were nearly a hundred feet up, reminding her more of the Rainforest District, though she knew those were sculpted, where these looked entirely natural. Far overhead, in one of the branches, she could see the tattered remains of a kite or a…

A parachute.

Judy sat up, ears alert as she searched the trees for anything familiar. The only thing in sight anywhere other than forest was Harry, who knelt in front of her, his backpack and parachute missing. Had she not known better, he might have looked as though he belonged out in the woods with the ragged clothing he—and she, she noted—was wearing. The whole of the last few days came back in an abrupt rush. One paw went straight to the collar on her neck, hanging heavily.

"Where are we?" she asked, pulling her hind paws under her to make it easier to sit, and to stand abruptly if the need arose. Her toes sank quickly into the mud, making her wish she had not moved. "I don't remember much after the plane."

"That's my fault." Harry's ears sank, and he appeared genuinely upset. "When we went out the door, the winds threw off our direction. You clipped the doorframe and blacked out. You were starting to wake when we hit the trees, and then you went out again. Didn't know if it was the change in air pressure or the impact."

Judy felt around her head, finding a small swollen spot behind her left ear. It was tender, but not concerning. Turning her attention back to the trees overhead, she squinted through the leaf canopy. "Looks to be almost sunset. How long have we been on the ground?"

"Longer than I care to admit," he confessed. "The sun's coming up, not down. We got stuck at the top of the tree cover, and you woke up panicking and trying to kick me, so I gave you a sedative to keep you calm while I was finding a way down here."

Judy's eyes went to the parachute a hundred feet above them. "Wait, you drugged me?"

Harry shrugged. "Would you have let me check you for injuries while dangling way up there if I hadn't?"

"No." Judy stood up quickly, glaring down at Harry. "If you touched me—"

"I carried you down out of the tree and applied an ice pack to your head. Nothing more. Where did you get it stuck in your head I'm a sex-crazed monster?"

"There was the shooting range."

Harry winced. "Yeah, about that. I get sick to my stomach any time I think about that. Can we not bring it up anymore?"

"Nick told me about you bragging that you've been sleeping your way around Zootopia. Whether or not you were going to do something in the shooting range, I don't want to be on your list of conquests. You touch me, I'll shoot you."

One of Harry's ears flopped as he cocked his head sideways, staring at her in utter confusion. "Sleeping my way… What are you talking about?"

"Snow told Nick you were bragging about practically one doe each day you were out in the city…"

Slapping one paw to his face, Harry shook his head. "Snow lied through her fangs on that. Probably trying to see what Nick would do, or set up the mood for when I faked attacking you. Let's get this straight right now. First, I did not have any intention of following through on assaulting you. Second, I'm disgusted by my own behavior in that matter, even if it was part of the job. Third, I haven't slept with anyone since I left Ursian lands. Fourth, I'm not interested in sleeping with anyone—you included—anytime soon. And lastly, you aren't my type. No offense."

Judy slowly relaxed, as she stared into Harry's eyes. He seemed sincere enough, but she had no intention of letting her guard down. It did give her some piece of mind, though. Shivering in her wet clothing, she looked up at the leafy canopy, trying to find anything else she could focus on. "You carried me all the way down? That couldn't have been easy."

Nodding, Harry sat down in front of her, his nervous posture fading. "Yeah. Took almost all night to get to the ground. We lost most of our supplies, though. Found some scattered around the area, but not everything. We've got a meal or two, but nothing good to carry them in. I did get a good look at the area from up there, though. I know where we're going."

Judy opened her mouth to ask one thing, but then realized the two of them were alone. "Where are the others?"

"Not sure." Harry drew a few lines in the dirt in front of her, marking off a lake and a road, as well as several smaller bodies of water. "We're almost to the road, which was our target, though we want to be about sixty miles south of here. The plane went down southwest of here, closer to the large lake. I saw everyone make the jump, and saw the right number of chutes. No one drifted this direction. They could be anywhere."

"Sweet cheese and…ugh…that's all we've got to go on?" she asked, leaning over the map. "How far could they be?"

"Easily ten miles in any direction."

"We had satellite phones. Where's ours?"

Harry reached behind him and pulled a battered and torn backpack into view. From it, he removed a smashed plastic casing with a single wire dangling from it. "That's what's left of it. If they're calling us, we won't hear it. I still have our signaling beacon, but it doesn't do us much good without a way to hear a reply."

"Okay," Judy mumbled. The dread in the pit of her stomach was not helping her focus, so she pointedly ignored it. "You had a planned extraction point?"

"Yeah. We're supposed to let them know we're coming, but we do have a failsafe plan. If we start hiking now, we can intercept Rolen's cars before sundown, then head toward the pickup spot. It'll take us an extra day to get there, but we'll have plenty of time before the failsafe plan kicks in. However, the pickup was going to be handled by Milo, who is lost out here with us."

"What about Rolen?" Judy asked, looking up at Harry. "I can't drag a bear for a day, and I doubt you can, either."

"We go to Plan B."

"Which is?"

Harry pulled a handgun from the pack, and set it down between them. "We bring back the books, and not him."

"Please tell me you have my weapon, too?"

"No." Harry kept his gaze on the pistol. "No extra ammunition, no extra weapon. We have seven bullets to take out Rolen, his three guards, and the vehicle they're in. Oh, and because of where we're at, by the time we get to the road, we'll have all of a few hours to prepare, instead of a day or more. That's assuming all the intel our local folks sent back was correct about the delays they caused Rolen."

"We can work with that," she said, mostly to herself. "Let's get going. The sooner we get to the site, the sooner we'll have backup who can help look for the others. With luck, they'll meet us on the road."

Judy got to her paws and started walking, only to stop when Harry whistled sharply. Turning, she saw he was pointing almost exactly the opposite direction.

"Road's that way," he explained, getting up and pulling several items from the remains of the backpack. Most went into his pockets, but the torn sleeping bag he threw to Judy, who caught it. He then slid the pistol into the back of his pants, and brought his tattered vest down over it. "If anyone finds us, we need to run. Understand? We're marked as slaves, and we don't have predators here to vouch for us."

"What'll they do if they catch us?" she asked, swallowing hard as she adjusted the sleeping bag in her arms.

"That'll be up to whoever owns this area." Harry began walking, turning his head slightly to talk as he went. "Most territories, the law is any escaped slaves are lit on fire in a public place, so the others learn it was a bad idea to run. Some prefer to have public hangings, but you get the general idea. The nicest territories would beat us for a day, then put us to work."

Judy nodded stiffly, following Harry through the woods.

Her whole life, Judy had heard stories of how mammals had evolved past their animalistic ways, moving beyond times when they would savagely attack each other for food. She had taken part in plays as a kit, acting out the brutality in childish terms. Even with the horrors of the Night Howler serums recently in the city, she had never felt truly afraid of what might lurk in the shadows. She might have feared individuals—Rolen included—or what might come of their actions, but never truly feared the world around her. Now, faced with miles of limited visibility in woods that could have housed any number of mammals who actually _would_ kill her simply because she was prey, the truest sense of the fears her ancestors felt daily seemed to sink in, forcing her to watch every movement, every patch of shade, and freeze whenever birds cried overhead.

To be entirely honest with herself, it was exhausting. Walking miles across terrain that varied from rocky to muddy and back on paws meant for soft dirt and farmland was bad enough, but doing it while in constant fear of what might find them only added to the effort. By the time the trees thinned and a small lake came into sight, her legs were trembling and her paws felt raw, and the sun was directly overhead. Judging solely by the rough sketch Harry had done hours before, they were only a little more than halfway to the main north-south road.

"Watch yourself," Harry warned, slowing his pace as they moved from tree cover into the shorter bushes surrounding the lake. Thankfully, as long as they did not go any closer to the water, both bunnies were shorter than the majority of the plants and could easily stay hidden. "Those who live this far out may not have any love for the Ursians, but they still were brought up with those ways."

"Meaning what?" she asked, wincing as her toes sank into mud, which made loud slurping sounds each time she pried herself free. Her thoughts briefly went to the day Nick had tricked her into stepping into wet cement, but this was far slimier—and she really did not want to think about Nick at all, lest she worry.

"They'll probably meet us with a shotgun. After that, if there's no sign we're being followed, they'll just slap leashes on us and claim us as their own slaves. Basically, whatever they think they can get away with. We're either escaped slaves to be turned in for a reward, or we're free labor. Neither helps our cause."

Lowering her head even more to ensure an accidental ear-lifting would not make them too obvious, Judy followed close behind Harry's tail as he skirted the lake. Halfway to the next section of woods, he motioned toward the northern edge of the water, where Judy could make out a simple cabin. Judging by size, it was likely home to wolves, which made it even more concerning, as they would easily smell two bunnies at a considerable distance.

"The mud helps hide our scent," Harry explained, as if guessing what she might be thinking. "They have to be a lot closer than usual to find us. Snow and I spent a lot of time neck-deep in mud getting out of here. Well…I was neck-deep, she was more waist-deep. You get the idea."

They crept along, moving at probably no more than half their usual pace through the sticky mud south of the lake. Twenty minutes later, Judy felt a dull thrill begin to rise as she neared the trees again, as though the shelter meant safety, but Harry grabbed her paw and began dragging her along, almost making her drop the sleeping bag. Too scared to argue, she ran along with him, spraying mud from her hind paws with every long stride. Soon, they were in the shadow of the trees, and Harry pulled her down behind the cover of a large stone.

"I saw something move out there," he whispered, letting go of her paw. The embarrassed look let Judy know he was well aware touching her was still not something to she would easily forgive, though she had far greater concerns. "Probably nothing. Let's get going."

Judy agreed and started to get up, but stopped as something out in the lake area caught her eye. Looking more closely, she saw there were two wolves arguing with a much larger mammal. It was the larger mammal's coloring which had drawn her attention. Nature might have built her to fear some bright colors, but this time she was ecstatic to see orange and black stripes.

"Fangmeyer!" she hissed, grabbing Harry's arm to keep him from running off. "We need to get to him!"

"Are you stupid? He's a predator. He'll be fine! We need to get to our destination—"

Ignoring Harry, Judy set down the sleeping bag near the rock and began walking back toward the lake, marching right out into the light. The three mammals nearer the water did not see her immediately, though they did stop their bickering and turn to watch her once she was halfway between the trees and them. As she got closer, she saw that both wolves carried woodcutting axes, giving her some clue as to why Markus was putting up with their yelling.

 _No room to run now_ , she told herself, lowering her eyes and shoulders as she made her way up to the two wolves and tiger. _Here's hoping this works out._

"By the bear, what do you think you're doing?" demanded the female wolf, shoving Markus. "It's bad enough you're marching across our land, but you're doing it with your slaves? I've half a mind to claim them and put you in a shallow grave!"

Judy peeked up at Markus, finding that he was remaining stunningly calm as the two smaller mammals growled and postured. The only reaction he gave the female wolf was to raise both paws in submission. As Judy came up beside him, Harry walked up and took his other side, mirroring the demeanor Judy had adopted.

"I got lost," Fangmeyer told the couple, and from his tone, Judy guessed he had said at much a dozen times already. "Yes, of course I brought my slaves with me. What was I supposed to do? Leave them at home alone? They'd have starved or worse."

"I don't care!" snapped the male wolf, shoving Markus, too. "We've been seeing things falling out of the sky all evening. Strange stuff for this area. Not taking any chances. Show us what's in the bag and we'll maybe let you go. You keep trying us, and we'll put you on the ground and set your bunnies to work."

Markus motioned again for calm, and then slowly brought one paw up to ease his backpack off his shoulder. From what Judy recalled, he had been carrying his rifle, disassembled, in the lengthy pack. "Everyone relax. I'm happy to show you what's in here. Nothing but camping supplies, after all."

Judy looked over Fangmeyer's back at Harry, as the tiger bent down to lay out the backpack. Harry's expression was neutral, giving her nothing.

"Just dump it on the ground and back away," the male wolf ordered Markus, adjusting his grip on the axe.

Tilting his head, Markus stared at the wolf a little longer than Judy felt was likely polite. "You want me to throw everything on the ground and walk away? How about we actually come to an agreement that doesn't involve me starving in the woods without my supplies?"

"He said, dump it!" the female barked, raising her own axe.

Nodding, Markus unzipped the pack. "Whatever you want. No reason for this to get ugly."

Before Judy realized he was going to attack, Markus dropped the pack and rose to his paws, lunging forward between the two wolves. His first swing took the female off her paws, sending her tumbling into the mud. When he came back around, he barely managed to catch the male's wrists, stopping the axe mid-swing, the blade only inches from his stomach.

"Clara, run and grab the guns!" the male shouted, as he struggled to pull his arms free. "Shoot all three of them!"

Markus did not hesitate, shifting his grip on the male wolf so he could bring himself behind the smaller mammal. With a soft growl and louder snap, he broke the wolf's neck, letting him drop to the ground in a heap.

"Markus!" Judy yelled, as he ran past her, tackling the female wolf. "No!"

Judy started to run after Fangmeyer, only to have Harry grab her arm and hold her back. "Let him! It's the only way we get out of here alive!"

A second dull snap let Judy know she was too late. Both wolves lay face down in the mud, twitching.

"Sorry," Markus offered, sighing as he walked over to Judy and Harry, rubbing at his shoulder the whole way. "It's what we're trained to do in this situation. Like it or not, it was the right answer. Let's get moving before anyone else has to get hurt. I'd rather not repeat that."

Stunned, Judy stared at the bodies, even as Markus collected his things into his pack. When Harry grabbed at her sleeve, tugging her to follow, she barely felt anything. All she could see were those two bodies, left in the mud outside their home.

 _This isn't how the ZPD does things!_ she practically screamed in her own mind, following the others numbly. _I know we're not doing a ZPD mission but…but…oh sweet cheese and crackers, I'm in way over my head this time. Nick, where are you? I need someone who can keep his cool through this. I was never trained to deal with killing civilians in cold blood. This was such a mistake._

"Judy?" someone asked, but she was so lost in her thoughts, she kept walking without the word registering. All she saw was the dirt and grass under her hind paws as she marched onward, with flashes of unnecessary death making her shudder.

Rough paws grabbed at Judy, and she instinctively flailed, her mind warning her she was being attacked the same way the wolves had been. That reaction was only worsened when she looked up and saw it was Markus holding her slightly off the ground.

"Judy, snap out of it!" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What's going on with you? You're not paying attention."

Judy cowered, despite knowing deep down Markus would never willingly hurt her. The memories of the wolves set her on edge, making everything he did and said seem hostile. Eventually, she managed to calm herself enough to stop wriggling, and look him in the eyes.

 _This_ , she realized, _is the reality of my ancestors. The way they would have seen Markus all the time._

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wishing she could pull her ears over her face in shame. "I know…I know you had to do that. I just wasn't ready for it."

"You weren't chosen to kill anyone," he explained more gently, getting a curt nod from Harry. "I was. Ten years in the ZPD doesn't change what I was trained to do first. They needed someone who won't hesitate. It's why I'm here, so you don't have to make those decisions. Put the blame on me if you have to, but stay attentive. Now look at where you were going."

Twisting in his paws, Judy turned her head to follow the path she had been taking. Her long pawprints led in a straight line toward a wide packed-dirt road. The forest had ended nearly fifty of Fangmeyer's steps back. She had continued on without cover, and very nearly marched right into the middle of the road they were supposed to be staking out.

The realization that she was standing beside the road made Judy wonder how long she had been lost in her thoughts. Looking up, she found the moon rising over the trees. Several hours, at the very least. Twisting again, she lifted one of her hind paws, finding blood soaked through her fur and the mud coating. Somehow, hours of walking in the woods and the damage it did to her paws was not enough to break through the shock of seeing Markus kill two farmers. As she took in all she had missed, Markus put her back down on her paws.

"Did we make it in time?" she asked, limping back to the edge of the trees, where she flopped down. Wincing, she rubbed at her hind paws, feeling through the mud for how badly torn up they were. Just as she started to wonder if she were being weak with regard to the damage to her paws, she saw Harry sit down and begin cleaning his own.

"Should have," Harry explained, while Markus took off his pack. "Last report is that he's got one vehicle. Old black sedan, probably to avoid attention. Sabotage to the engine, the tires, the road, and so on bought us days of time, but we're down to the wire now. Given how little traffic there is along this road, we'll know soon enough. Since we were supposed to be farther south, we should have had more time. I doubt we even have an hour left, if we're not already too late."

"An hour's more than enough." From his pack, Markus began removing pieces of his rifle, which he rapidly assembled, while seated on the grass. "The plan still to stop the car, take him captive, and call for evac?"

"More or less," answered Harry, avoiding Judy's confused stare. Apparently, now that they had Fangmeyer, there was a chance of taking Rolen alive. "He will have at least three mammals with him, based on what we saw. Don't forget, we need the books he took, too. If they aren't with him, we're stuck here until we find them."

"Are we arresting all four of them?" Judy asked, putting her hind paws back on the ground. "You said he'd have three with him, but we're arresting him. What are we doing with them?"

Fangmeyer stopped assembling his weapon and looked over at Harry, who squirmed.

"Kill them if they draw on us," Harry told Markus. "Wound and capture, if we can. Once we're gone, we'll leave them behind. There's no way we're dragging Rolen and three others all the way to the pickup. As it is, we're probably six or more hours on paw from there, if Milo even manages to get things back on track."

"And the time to find the others," Judy added, getting a blank stare from Harry. "Snow, Nick, Carl, Stan, and Felix. We need to find them."

The roadside remained nearly silent, only disturbed by the occasional bird in the trees nearby and the soft clicks of Markus' rifle being put together. Finally, it was Harry who spoke up, beginning with a deep sigh. "We can't be sure we _will_ find them. That's why we put you two through so much, to be sure you were ready for this. For all we know, they hit the ground hard. We do the mission, then we go home. If we're lucky—very, very lucky—we'll run into them on the way or at the pickup. We don't divert from the mission, even if it means we lose them."

Judy wanted to argue, but she did understand. Even at the ZPD, defending the public came first, defending each other second. Stopping Rolen from bombing the city certainly fit into the former category. For as much as it hurt her to accept it, she had to trust Nick to find a way to get home. If anyone could, it was him. Each step of this mission made her worry even more, and she began to understand why other officers avoided attachment, especially within the department.

"Okay," she conceded, watching nervously as Markus lay down on the grass with his rifle aimed at the road slightly north of their location. "We'll see them all at the pickup. Got it."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.3 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 23** **rd** **, Monday Evening – Outer Contested Lands**

"No, I still have no idea where the pickup is!" Skye snapped, throwing her arms in the air. "For the thousandth time, I have no clue where we are! The road is east. That's all I've got."

"You've been repeating that for hours," Nick reminded her, coming to a stop among the trees. "You also said the road was less than three hours away…yesterday. Where are we, Snow?"

Skye bared her teeth briefly, then turned in place, looking up toward the tops of the trees. She soon stopped, shook her head, and shrugged. "I have no idea. I know which direction is east. Since we're sure we came down west of our target—"

"We're sure? I'm not. Are you? It was storming pretty hard yesterday, and I couldn't exactly see the sun. We know which way is east, but do we really know that's the right direction to go? If we got turned around in the air, how long until we'd know?"

Skye put a paw to her forehead. The action looked wrong to Nick without her glasses, but she had managed to keep going without issue all day, hinting they might not actually be required. "If we're truly lost, a week in one direction, maybe less. There's not a lot up this far north. Zootopian districts can't extend anywhere near this far south, and the Ursians keep this region watched for attack. It's a buffer zone between the two lands. We won't find more than farms until we hit the coast, if we were east of the road."

"A farm would be nice," Nick grumbled, motioning at the woods around them. "Haven't seen one yet. Right now, my paws are about done with walking. I've got more blisters than I did in the academy, and I was out of shape then. This is getting stupid, Snow. How long do we march?"

"Until we find something!" Huffing, she sat down hard with a splatter on the wet ground, both legs straight in front of her, muddy hind paws pointed at the sky. "I don't know, Nick! I just don't. Going back doesn't help us. Going on is uncertain. North is nearly as far as east before we reach anything. South is about the last direction we want to go. This wasn't supposed to happen. We planned carefully…"

Nick's anger faded sharply, and he let his arms drop to his sides. Skye looked absolutely miserable, picking at the tangles and mud staining her fur, while staring blankly at the ground around her. If she had not been so unbearably obnoxious during their first meetings he might have felt some real sympathy, but his hind paws hurt far too much to let her get to him. Instead, he chose to merely soften his tone before continuing.

"Listen," he went on, easing himself down onto the ground in front of her. "If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that no plan goes the way you expect. The more you prepare, the more likely it goes sideways."

"How are you this upbeat?" she asked, without looking up. "We don't even know if the others are… If they…"

"I'm not upbeat. I'm a contrarian. You get mopey, I'll get more cheery. It's a habit my mother hated, and Judy will eventually, too. As for the others, they're fine. Never bet against Carrots. She'll always come through in the end. Odds are, she's got Rolen in cuffs already, and is waiting alongside an airplane she built from scrap based on something she read on the Internet."

"Your faith in her is really remarkable." Skye reached up to wipe at her face, only to stop with her paw near her eyes. Scowling at the mud there, she let it fall back to her side. "I'm sorry I got you into this. It should have been a simple mission to start you both off. Things certainly could have gone wrong later, but we aren't even to the dangerous parts yet."

Nick had to concentrate to keep a bit of disgust off his face when he began to sink into the mud. "Listen, nothing's gone really wrong yet. We're lost. The others are probably… Wait. What do you mean 'start off'? This was a one-off mission. Make us look dead, convince us to act as temporary agents, then we go home. Right?"

Skye's eyes widened, still starting at the ground. A faint twitch near her neck hinted she was clenching her jaw.

"I've been meaning to ask. Why did Judy and I have to play dead, when the others didn't?" he asked, his sympathy waning fast. "What's going on?"

Slowly, Skye looked up, lowering her head a bit below his submissively, which was not hard with her shorter stature. "You two showed promise. We were trying to recruit you. The ZBI is all but gone. We need help. We need fresh agents."

"That's what this is all about? Why didn't you just ask?"

"Because you'd have said no," she answered, looking away again. "Besides, we weren't asking you to join as additional agents. We were recruiting you two to replace us. We pushed you hard, because you needed to be stronger than we were. This was…is…our last mission. First together and last."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

Skye huffed softly, wincing as she glanced anywhere but at him. "Harry and I were going to stay behind once you had Rolen or the books. This area has been brutal to his people, and I was going to help him see some change or die trying. With the Ursians out of power, there's a chance. It's not a good chance…"

Nick stared back at her for some time, trying to determine how best to argue with her, but he could see she had set her heart on the decision. Whatever there might or might not be between her and Harry, the loyalty and determination to help him was as clear on her face as it likely was on his when talking about Judy. He quickly decided against debate—given how little that would have done to change his own mind—and instead took her paw, even when she tried to pull away, and yanked her back up as he stood.

"Let's get walking," he insisted, not letting go of her paw until she was marching at a decent pace alongside him. "That road's not going to find itself. Everything after that is negotiable."

This time, they kept walking until the moon was rising overhead, casting the whole woods in shadow and pale light. To Harry or Judy, the lighting would have been distracting or difficult to make out shapes, but to two foxes, it was ideal. Nick had barely realized how much of his job had shifted to daylight hours in recent months, giving him few opportunities to run around the city at night, the way nature had wanted for his kind. Though he had never spent time in any woods but the Rainforest District, the change in atmosphere felt somehow _right_. All he was missing was a certain bunny…

The thought brought Nick to an abrupt halt.

 _I don't even know if she's okay. She could be dead or… No, stop that. She's fine. Stick to your creepy thoughts about chasing a bunny through the woods, and try not to get aroused when it goes wildly inappropriate in your head, stupid._

"You look worried," Skye noted, stopping a few steps ahead of him and turning. "A certain fox keeps reminding me to keep positive. Do I need to return that favor?"

Nick opened his mouth to answer, but a faint hum caught his attention, and he wound up cocking his head, listening to the distant sound. The longer he listened, the more convinced he was that he heard tires on dirt. Whatever it was, it was getting closer quickly.

"I hear a car," Skye said, just as Nick was about to explain. "Move!"

The two tore through the remaining trees, before the woods broke into a cleared section of road, which seemed entirely out of place in the area. From what little Nick had managed to learn about the region, a long-standing truce between the lands had allowed the simple highway of sorts to be built on the premise that mammals could travel between the Ursian lands and Zootopia. The truth had been harder to find among propagandistic stories, leading him to the conclusion that neither side even told their residents about the road, and if they did, they strongly discouraged dealing with those from the other land. Judging by the disrepair of the road, he began to fully believe.

Sliding to a stop that felt as though he were running his paws over sandpaper after so long walking, Nick stared at the northern section of road. Even in the dim light of the moon, headlights should have begun to appear long after the sound of the car began to echo among the trees. Still, there was nothing for several miles.

"Nick! Down!" Skye shouted, drawing his attention back to the woods, where she was flattening out on the ground. The muddy white of her fur still made her stand out in the dark, but anyone not searching for her might miss her.

Looking the other way, Nick saw why she was panicking. A car was coming…from the south. It was not terribly close, but the headlights had begun to light his fur as he dove for cover in the brush nearby. Only seconds later, the rumbling tires crunched as they skidded to a halt just past their hiding place. The instant the vehicle's engine shut off, Skye drew the one pistol they had left and slid it under a large stone.

"Come out right now!" shouted a female voice, as Nick heard a half dozen sets of paws come down on the dirt. He smelled wolves and at least one bear. "Show yourself, or we open fire! Answer us now, or we get answers from your remains."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Nick yelled back, sitting up and raising both paws. Less than thirty steps away, an aging military truck had stopped, and five wolves in uniform flanked a single female bear. All were heavily armed. "Innocent hikers who got lost here. No need to shoot anyone."

The black bear's eyes narrowed as she stared at Nick. "Get over here, fox. Bring anyone you have with you. Your story better check out. If you run, we'll keep firing until there's nothing left to question."

Keeping his paws up, Nick slowly stood. A few steps behind him, he could hear Skye do the same. He did not bother to wait for further instructions, and began walking toward the bear and her escort, making sure not to make any movements which could be misinterpreted.

"Take a knee by the truck," the bear ordered, motioning toward the rear wheel of her vehicle.

Nick did as he was told, and the wolves quickly surrounded him and Skye, trapping them with a line of soldiers on one side and the tire of the vehicle on the other. Running was going to be almost impossible, especially with five rifles ready to fire at him. He was quick and evasive, but there were limits.

"George, run their marks," the bear said, once Nick and Skye were both kneeling against the wheel. "I want to know who these two are. As bad as it is we're dealing with foxes, at least they're marked so we can identify them. Damned vermin should have to wear tracking collars like the rest of the prey."

Nick looked out of the corner of his eye at Skye, trying to get a feel for what she wanted to do. She was calm and unreadable, with her paws up, but face aimed down. She appeared downright demure, which bothered him almost as much as the guns being held all around them. Suddenly, rough paws grabbed his right arm and flattened his fur to make the scars more visible. A wolf near Skye did the same to her.

"Twelve fifteen eighty-two dot sixty. Born in one of the villages east of the capital," read the one holding Nick's arm. "Run it."

Atop the vehicle, Nick heard typing on a laptop. There were even more mammals than he had thought. The diesel exhaust of the truck had covered any scents. There was no way they were fighting or running from so many.

"Class sixty free mammal. His name's Nick, with no family name on record," replied the mammal in the truck. "Bloodline was granted freedom two generations ago. He's got a spotless file, aside from throwing rocks as a kit. He served his time for that. His grandmother received the medal of loyalty for defending her masters, which is probably why they were given their freedom. No requests for revocation."

"Lovely, we have a loyal fox. What're the odds of that?" asked the bear, snorting. "Run the vixen, too. I'm not trusting any fox, especially this far out. I'd much rather resolve this now, even if it means handing them both shovels."

Nick's fur stood on end. Digging his own grave was definitely not how he wanted to end the day.

"Ninety-six twenty-three dot sixty dot fifteen, from the southern beaches. We know how this one's going to come back."

All five rifles came up, aimed at Skye, though she still remained calm somehow.

"Fifteen, you say?" the bear repeated, her heavy steps coming closer. "I want to know specifically what she was marked as a slave for, not just that her family were traitors to the warlord."

Nick turned slightly to stare at Skye, wondering just how much she had failed to tell him. In response, she lowered her nose still further, making sure she did not look at anything but the ground. Her muzzle was nearly flat to her chest.

"Stand down," came the response from the truck. "Her father was the traitor, not her. Whole family was sold to close out his debts. I've got information on a brother, and final paperwork on her parents. She was flagged as a runaway right after they were executed, but a recent update—only a week old—shows her as the personal servant of the other fox. She checks out. If he wasn't here, we've got approval to put her down, but she is legally owned. Mandatory escort rules, but he's definitely here to escort her, so there's no violation."

With a huff, the bear knelt beside Nick, nearly knocking him over in the process. "I'm not required to abide by what comes back from town records, fox. Give me a straight answer, or I'll still put you both down and call it a public service. What're you doing out here?"

Nick kept his head low as he peeked up at the bear. Her dark gray uniform only served to accentuate the black fur. In a way, she reminded him of Silvia in the way she appeared ready to kill whoever was in front of her, while keeping a prideful curl to her muzzle. It was actually more information than he would need to begin manipulating her.

"We shouldn't be," he admitted, and felt Skye move, likely to look his way. "Absolute honesty here. I've got distant family living out on a farm in this area. Just managed to secure the deal to buy Snow here, and thought I'd show off a little. First mammal in the family to own his own servants, so I wanted to do rub it in—"

The bear groaned. "Shut up already, fox. I can see where this story is going, and I don't want the details, nor do I want to hear your whole life story. Are you telling me you bought yourself a mate, and wanted to brag?"

Nick put on his best "nervous" grin. "Yes, absolutely. A fox's gotta do what a fox can to get by these days. How many eligible and unowned vixens do you see on a regular basis—?"

"Let them both go," the bear bellowed, standing up. "We need to get to our rendezvous, and I don't have time for two foxes rutting in the woods."

Nick cleared his throat softly, drawing the bear's attention back to him. "If it's not too much to ask, how many miles north of town are we? Just knowing that will help us find our way back to where we belong."

The bear rolled her eyes. "I'd rather you two get lost and never find your way back, but what does it matter? There's always more lowlife foxes running around. Seven miles north of last checkpoint. Two southeast of Lake Ursius. Now, get walking, foxes."

Nick reached over to grab Skye, in the hope of hurrying them both along and giving the impression of familiarity, only to have her grab his paw with hers. She pulled herself close, moving with him, and clinging just enough that one might think she was afraid to be near anyone but him. Nick understood the act, but it still felt uncomfortable and put him ill at ease, even as he silently praised her for her attention to details. Skye was hardly a "damsel in distress" normally, but she pretended well.

They walked quickly away from the wolves and bear, though Skye did not give any indication she intended to stop clinging anytime soon. He began to think they had managed to get themselves out of trouble, when a booming gunshot echoed down the road, from far beyond the military truck. Both Nick and Skye came to an abrupt stop, staring south, while Nick waited for the hammer to fall.

"Arrest them both," growled the bear, and Nick released Skye's paw to raise his arms again. "We'll execute them if and when we find out what's going on. Get ready to move out. I want eyes on where that came from immediately."

Softly, Skye whispered, "I might be able to take two wolves, if you can keep the others off me."

Nick stared at her as though she had lost her mind. "Play along! This isn't a fight we can win."

Running paws approached behind them, and seconds later Nick's arms were pulled down and behind him. Heavy cuffs clamped shut on both wrists, while Skye was pushed to the ground before being cuffed by another wolf. More than once, he saw the wolf strike the back of her head and drive his knee into her ribs. There apparently were some differences between free foxes and those who were not, even if neither was overly liked. By the time she was securely cuffed, Skye's muzzle and left ear were bloodied, yet she kept quiet through it all.

"Put them in the truck," ordered the bear, and Nick and Skye were both pulled onto their paws. "We'll sort it out back home. I don't have time for this."

The wolves practically carried Nick and Skye back to the back of the truck, where the rest of the soldiers had gathered. As soon as they reached the bumper, the wolf holding Nick's shoulders actually did pick him up, handing him to another already inside the vehicle, who then set him down on a bench seat. A second later, Skye was similarly handled and shoved in alongside him, though she was put down far harder.

Nick closed his eyes as the wolves and bear piled into the truck, trying to slow his heart and breathing. He needed to stay calm if he was going to start working on removing the cuffs. Once he was certain he could use his fingers without them shaking, he opened his eyes again and began taking in the surroundings.

Seven wolves filled the bed of the truck, with a leopard in the driver's seat, plus the bear leading them all. Every single mammal carried at least a handgun, and most also carried rifles. As soon as the last climbed up, the truck set off again, tires kicking up dust behind them.

A tenth mammal was who drew Nick's attention almost immediately after the lurch of the truck. Lying strapped to a gurney on the floor was Delgato, his mouth fastened shut with leather and metal. He was awake and looking around, but could not make more than a rattling hiss of breathing around the overtightened muzzle. In his frantic glances, he never once looked toward Nick and Skye.

"You ever seen this one before, fox?" the bear asked, leaning forward from her seat across from him.

"The lion?" Nick replied, giving a disgusted grumble. "What lion would be seen with a fox? Should I be flattered at you asking? No, I don't know him. Why?"

The bear continued to stare at Nick a few extra seconds, apparently evaluating his lie. Slowly, she sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not every day we find two sets of stragglers on the road. This one was found near a parachute, so we have our suspicions about him."

"Lions falling from the sky? That's new." Nick said, getting smirks from several of the wolves. "I'll need to watch to make sure nothing lands on me."

"None of your concern, regardless," she growled, turning her attention to Stan Delgato. "He's someone else's problem, after we're done. Probably have a day to work him over before they take charge, though."

Nick's claws slid over his pawcuffs, feeling out the mechanism. He had never really had the heart to tell the ZBI why there were no concrete mentions of him being arrested on file—it was largely because he had escaped a half dozen times over the years, before being booked. There had never been guns involved previously, but there was a first time for everything. Soon, he had a sense for which style lock the cuffs used, and set to slowly working it with the tip of a claw.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are we going?" he inquired, using the dialogue to cover the clicks of his claws on metal. "I thought you were taking us back home, but we're going north."

The bear raised one eyebrow, glowering dangerously at him. "We're on a rescue mission, you might say. Our great leader returns."

From beside Nick, Skye softly whispered, "Praise the bear."

In his head, Nick had to sort out whether Skye was giving him a suggestion or simply saying something. Though it only took a fraction of a second, he reasoned his way through the tone, recognizing a habitual prayer. Before anyone could question, he likewise said, "Praise the bear. We thought he was still missing."

"Never missing, never gone, never forgotten," the bear replied, her hostility fading slightly. "Our leader wished to prove the strength of our lands the way his ancestors did: With the might in his own two paws. His return heralds a new age. The local landholding warlord will explain more in a declaration over the next few days."

Nick nodded, though he was still not entirely sure what he was agreeing with. It seemed to placate the soldiers, as all but the bear stopped watching him, and instead focused on Delgato, the front window of the truck, or the open rear hatch.

The truck rumbled onward with the soldiers remaining silent. Thankfully, the roar of the tires on the dirt road provided enough noise that when Nick's fingerclaw clicked the cuffs open, not one mammal looked up. A few seconds later, he released the second cuff and settled them back onto his wrists to give the appearance of still being fastened.

Abruptly, the vehicle came to a skidding halt, sliding somewhat sideways in the process. Through the open window between the front and back, the driver yelled, "Large mammal on the west side of the road. Car north of us is smoking!"

"Stay put," warned the bear, looking at Nick. "Soldiers, I want two mammals here with the prisoners. Everyone else, with me. Shoot to kill."

The soldiers readied their weapons and began filing out, with the bear taking the rear as they left the truck. The remaining two wolves watched Delgato more than Nick or Skye, and did not look up when Skye slid even closer to Nick, pressing her cuffs into his paws. Apparently someone _had_ noticed his handling of the locks, though she made a show of putting her cheek on his shoulder meekly to cover her actual intent.

"Can I ask what's going on out here?" Nick asked, keeping his voice louder than normal, to conceal the clicks of his claws on Skye's cuffs. Before he had finished talking the first cuff came loose. "This is all new to me, and I don't really want my…well… I don't want her damaged. Cost a lot. Neither of us is much of a fighter, and we'd really rather hide under something if this is going to get ugly."

One of the wolves rolled his eyes, while the other smirked knowingly. Whatever they might think of foxes, he was probably guessing correctly on what to say.

"Nothing you need to worry about," one wolf insisted, setting his rifle aside. "No one expects a fox to need to fend for itself. Major Ursa will handle this, and we'll be back on the road in no time. If you're really lucky, you might get to meet the warlord himself."

Nick put on a "surprised and excited" expression, which the wolves seemed to accept as genuine, even as the second pawcuff came free on Skye's wrists. "The last Ursius? Seriously? Here? I've never… What do we need to do? I've lived so far out in the country, I've never had the honor… I'm sorry, I'm just ignorant when it comes to being around important mammals."

The wolf who had been silent to that point finally looked at Nick, and placed his own rifle against the bench beside him. "Bow when he comes in, and stay down until he sits. Keep your head lower than his, which shouldn't be too hard for a fox. Other than that, be quiet. You get in his way, someone will skin you."

Nick nodded, glancing over at Skye. She watched him expectantly with her cheek still on his shoulder, as though waiting for him to do something more. It was not as though he did not enjoy hearing himself talk, but he was struggling for topics. He needed to get both wolves out of the way if he was going to get Stan out of his bindings.

"Bow…how?" he asked, leaning in to show his eagerness, forcing Skye to sit back against the side of the truck. "Just drop to both knees and stare at the ground, or is there a proper way?"

The two wolves sighed, exchanging annoyed looks. After a moment, the one straight across from Nick slid off the bench to stand in the middle of the truck. "It's not that hard, even for a fox. You take one knee, like this…"

The wolf slowly dropped to one knee, lowering his muzzle. As soon as his eyes were off them, Skye lunged forward, grabbing his pistol from his holster. The second wolf reached for his rifle, while the first scrambled backward to get away from the vixen. He only made it halfway back to the bench before Skye slammed the butt of the pistol into the wolf's throat, dropping him to the floor, choking. She then raised the weapon, pointing it at the other wolf, who stopped moving with his paws barely touching his rifle.

"Untie the lion," she ordered, slowly moving across the truck's interior to reach the gagging wolf's rifle. With one paw, she passed that back to Nick. "Start moving. If you stall too long, I'll put a bullet in your head. We don't have much to lose."

The wolf's eyes darted between Skye and Nick, until at length he eased himself onto the floor, keeping both paws far from his holstered pistol or the rifle nearby. He slid himself up alongside Delgato, then unfastened the straps of the muzzle. Once Delgato began panting and licking at his mouth, trying to catch his breath from having the snug muzzle on so long, the wolf moved to the straps holding the lion's arms.

"You know there's no trial for this sort of thing, right?" the wolf asked, as the first strap fell away. Delgato could not move his arms yet, but one more buckle and he would likely be able to assist. "Ursa will kill everyone here, us included. I will have to die trying to stop you, or my family dies."

"Then we'll make sure you're wounded to show you fought back," Skye snapped, motioning with the pistol to hurry. Reaching down, she fastened her pawcuffs onto the wrists of the wolf she had attacked, though they barely fit. "Hurry up, or we'll make it look like you helped us."

Unbuckling the next strap, the wolf backed away as Delgato sat up, pulling his arms free. Over the next few seconds, Stan ripped away all the remaining bindings, and rolled off the side of the stretcher closest to Nick. Reaching under the bench seat, he pulled out the backpack he had left the airplane with.

"Glad to see some friendly faces," he said, grinning as he pulled out a tranquillizer pistol from his bag. "If we dart them both, we can be safely away before—"

Two shots rang within the truck, and the wolves collapsed in a spray of blood, each with a bullet in their chest. Her face utterly calm, Skye shifted the pistol she had taken to her free paw and flexed her wrist, as though the weapon's kick had hurt her.

"We can't have witnesses telling the army who and where we are," she explained, beckoning them both to follow. "We can argue about it later. If that's Rolen's car out there, we need to move quickly. Major Ursa had to have heard the gunfire."

Nick nearly threw up as he stared at the bodies of the wolves, though to his mild surprise Stan did not seem more than a little annoyed. Before Nick could snap himself out of his shock, the lion had taken the other handgun, while Skye grabbed a set of keys from the other wolf.

"We'll need the truck if we're getting out of here quickly," she explained, shoving the keys into her pocket. "Let's hope the original gunshot was one of ours."

As Stan finished talking, a series of quick shots went off, and a second later, Major Ursa and two of the remaining wolves ducked behind the back of the truck. The way they frantically watched the trees in the distance let Nick know they were completely unaware of what was happening inside the vehicle, and those shots had been an exchange they were involved in.

"Get him into cover!" roared the bear, motioning for the wolves to move past her. As they did, Nick watched an all too familiar brown bear lumber past, towering over the wolves and even over Ursa.

The brief glimpse of Rolen's long fangs—exposed even with his muzzle closed—froze Nick in place, remembering how deadly the warlord had been back in Zootopia. Despite more than a month having passed since their last encounter, Rolen still moved with a pained limp, keeping one massive paw to his side, where Spetz had shot him twice, and later, Bogo had fired more than a dozen bullets into his bulletproof armor, bruising several ribs. Whether he was healing or not, Rolen was still a head and a half taller than Ursa, and easily more than triple Nick's height, making him a threat so long as he could move. Thankfully, he never looked into the truck.

"I've got a shot," Skye whispered, dropping to one knee and raising her pistol toward Rolen.

Nick blinked several times as Skye lined up her shot, but then grabbed the barrel of the weapon, forcing it down toward the floorboards. "Are you insane? They'll kill us both! He'll probably shrug it off!"

"It's our mission!" she hissed back, tugging to try and free the pistol from his grip. "Let go!"

Reaching down, Nick pulled the truck's keys from Skye's pocket. "Mission or not, we don't do stupid. The odds of him going down from a few bullets is really low, especially when they return fire. Stan, get ready to provide cover-fire back here, in case they try to get in. Stay low. This is going to get bumpy."

Delgato quickly lay down on the floor of the truck, aiming his pistol out the back, toward the unaware wolves and bears, while gunfire outside erupted. Whatever was happening, the firefight was getting more constant.

Meanwhile, Nick ran to the front of the truck, slipping easily through the window meant for bears or other large mammals to only look through, but which was inadvertently just large enough for a fox to pass. He landed on the front seat, and set to adjusting as much of the pedals and seat as he could to try to drive it, though it was not built for a mammal his size. Once he had the seat as close to the pedals as he could get it, he put the keys in the ignition and looked out the window for the first time.

A quarter mile up the road, two wolves were on the ground, still moving, but clutching at wounds. Beyond them, Nick could make out a dark spot near the woods, from which occasional flashes of a gun going off could be seen. For every one shot from that location, a dozen came in reply from the back of the truck, as though the wolves were foolish enough to try to hit a prone target firing at them from so far out. There were not a lot of mammals who could keep pressure on the truck of soldiers at that distance, so he had to hope he knew who was hiding out there.

"Snow, get up here!" Nick called out, as he twisted the key. The engine roared, and he dropped partway under the wheel to punch the gas, pulling the truck away from the soldiers, leaving them without any cover. Though he aimed the truck to go north on the road, he kept far enough off the opposite side from the sniper that he hoped Fangmeyer would get a clear shot at Rolen.

A second later, Skye came bounding through the window, coming down on the seat alongside him. She had no sooner landed, than another gunshot from ahead of them went off, and the windshield exploded inward. A bullet hole in the back wall several inches over Nick's ears let him know he was very lucky he could barely see over the wheel.

"How do I let Markus know it's us?" he asked, while Skye rolled over on the seat to lay on her stomach, head toward him. "We need the truck, but I don't know how to signal him!"

Skye stared at him for several heartbeats, until a second bullet crashed into the hood, ricocheting off without any major damage. Reaching up, she grabbed a knob on the dashboard near the wheel, marked as the headlights. Twisting it, she turned the lights off, then back on, and off again, rapidly creating a pattern of light. The changes between the lights and utter darkness of the road was disorienting, and Nick hoped he was still heading roughly straight.

No more shots rang out from ahead of them, but several behind them were met by return fire from Delgato in the back of the truck.

"What'd you say?" Nick asked, squinting at the edges of the road, trying to make out where to stop.

"I just sent one word: stop. Anything longer would have given him too much time to fire."

Movement ahead and off to the west side of the road caught Nick's eye, and he slid down under the wheel to get enough weight behind pressing the brake pedal. The truck slid and turned without him having a good hold on the wheel, but it came to a stop upright, which was all he cared about. When he managed to get himself back up onto the seat so he could see the road around them, he found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle, with Fangmeyer holding the weapon up against the cracked front window of the truck. Reflexively, Nick raised both arms in surrender. A brief glance to his right showed that Skye was in a similar panic-pose, with both paws up and eyes wide, staring at the rifle.

"Nick?" the tiger asked, lowering the rifle a few inches. He then looked past the truck down the road, while moving up alongside Nick's door, where the open window allowed them to more easily speak.

Checking his mirrors, Nick found that there was movement south of them, where the bears and wolves were attempting to reach cover near the woods.

"Rolen's with the others!" Skye announced, hopping to her hind paws on the seat. "Did you get the journals?"

"No," Markus answered, reaching down. With a grunt, he lifted both Judy and Harry into the cab of the truck with his bad arm. The two rabbits hurried past Nick and hunkered down in the pawwell on Skye's side. "Snow, move over. I'll take passenger. Nick, get ready to run down those mammals. I've got a half dozen bullets left, without having to dig in my pack. With luck, we can keep them from running. Rifle's cooled long enough, I can probably fire at least four times."

Nick slid back down to get his hind paws on the pedals, while Fangmeyer climbed up onto the step on the passenger side, using the door as a shield. He put down the window and lay his rifle along the hood through the window. Once Skye, Judy, and Harry were braced against anything they could reach, Nick slammed down the gas and started turning the truck around.

By the time they were heading southward again, Nick could barely see the two remaining wolves near the trees. They were running, using the light brush at the edge of the woods for partial cover.

"Hang on!" Nick yelled, pulling the truck off the road as it picked up speed. To his surprise, while Skye and Harry grabbed onto the dashboard, Judy moved over beside him and wrapped her arms around his stomach to keep from being thrown about.

Despite the bouncing and rocking of the truck, Markus managed to steady himself somehow, carefully lining up his shot. Before they were halfway to the wolves, he fired the first time, and one wolf tumbled forward and slid to a stop near the trees. A second shot a few seconds later dropped another wolf. At that point, the barrel of the rifle was glowing faintly red, and Markus lifted his muzzle from the sights.

"Get close and we'll find the bears the hard way," he ordered, pulling the rifle inside and passing it through the window into the back, where Delgato took it from him.

Nick obeyed, letting the truck drift closer to the trees. Rocks and other debris along the roadside banged against the undercarriage, shaking the truck dangerously, but he managed to keep it from toppling. When at last he reached a spot near where the wolves had fallen, he slammed both paws down on the brake, bringing the truck to a rocking stop.

"Stan!" Fangmeyer called out as he jumped down, making his way around the vehicle. "Find me those bears!"

Nick sat up in his seat, looking from one mirror to the next, trying to locate Delgato and Fangmeyer, as they ran from the truck. He spotted the lion a second later, already dragging a wolf toward the back of the truck. Just after that, Markus reappeared, carrying the second wolf.

"No scent of them out there," Delgato announced, as he dropped his wolf unceremoniously to the floor in the back. "These two are still alive. Snow, get back here and find out what we need to do next."

Nick remained where he was, with Judy beside him, ears straight up, as Skye climbed into the back.

"Are you okay, Nick?" Judy whispered, looking up slowly. "I don't know about you, but I wasn't ready for any of this."

"Not even close to ready, but I'll be fine until I stop and think about it, Fluff."

"We're out of our league here," she told him, nodding toward the back of the truck. "They're going to kill those wolves, and I don't even know that they're wrong."

"Fluff, I can't even process that right now. I just want to know where Ro—"

Judy slammed a paw to Nick's muzzle stopping him mid-word. As he watched, her ears began swiveling to track some sound he could not yet hear. Gradually, the faint rumble of tires north of them grew loud enough for Nick's ears to pick up.

"Car!" Judy yelled into the back of the truck. "On the road, heading south!"

Nick kicked open the door of the truck and hit the ground running. Headlights were visible half a mile away, growing brighter by the second as something headed their way. He was only halfway to the road before Delgato passed him, the lion's longer legs letting him cover more ground in a straightaway, even if he took longer to accelerate.

The car came to a stop along the far side of the road, and Nick heard a quick exchange of words, followed by the crunch of claws on a door handle. Before the door had closed, the car took off, heading south.

Dropping to one knee, Stan raised his pistol and opened fire. Four shots later, he let his paw drop as the car shut off its lights, vanishing into the darkness.

Nick stopped alongside his friend, panting as his lungs burned. So close, but not nearly close enough. Rolen was gone again, this time with the knowledge there were animals chasing him. Finding him again was going to be that much harder.

"Let's get back to the truck," Nick wheezed at Stan, shaking his head in dismay. "Be ready for the lecture of the century from Snow."

Delgato grumbled and slid his pistol into his belt. "Let her lecture all she wants. We aren't done yet. I owe that fanged bastard a lot more hurt before I'm going home. I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not going back to Bogo and explaining I skipped work to fail at this. Either I go back with Rolen and the books, or I'm not going back."

Nick swallowed hard, and glanced over his shoulder at the truck, where he could see Judy near the back. She appeared to be helping Markus and Harry tend to the wounded and possibly dying wolves. While they tried to save the wolves, Skye had moved off to the road and was standing near the spot where they had last seen Rolen, staring south as though she might be able to bring him back through force of will.

"I'll stay as long as I can," Nick said, sighing. He already knew Judy would never give up, but his duty was to her, not to the mission. "If it means choosing whether she lives or dies—"

"I'll put you on the plane, train, or car to go home myself if that happens, Nick. You two are going back together."

Nick nodded, barely even hearing Delgato. "We're going to head south, aren't we? We're following Rolen right into his home, where they treat him like some kind of hero."

"A god," Stan corrected, moving to stand beside Nick. "We're going into the home of a god, to arrest or kill him. I'm sure they won't try to stop us. It'll be fine."

"You're a worse liar than Judy," Nick told him, scowling. "Let's get going. I want to be done with this before Rolen raises the whole army to stop us."

Turning at a sound near the tree line, Nick watched as Cannus and Spetz limped out of the woods. Neither was in decent shape, and Cannus had his lower left leg in a makeshift splint. Wherever they had been for the last day, at least they were alive. Two more of ZPD's finest against Rolen could not hurt their odds.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.4 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 25** **th** **, Wednesday Morning – Ursian District Eighteen**

Judy woke still atop Nick in his sleeping bag, the chirping of birds in the trees around them a strange—yet pleasant—surprise. She missed the sounds of nature and the remote outdoors after nearly a year in Zootopia, no matter how much she loved the city. She was a country bunny at heart, and waking in the woods felt like camping trips with a few dozen of her siblings when she was a kit, which she had all but forgotten.

Sadly, the comparison began to unravel almost instantly, as she realized the only joy in the morning was being with Nick. Everything else was a dour reminder that she was miles into enemy lands, where she was not just a "dumb bunny," but far less than that. Here, she was seen as lower than most forms of property. From some jokes Harry had made—which she hoped were actually jokes—some of the more extreme members of the society might see her as food.

Sighing, Judy lay her head back down on Nick's chest, listening to his heart's steady beat. He had scolded her again during the night about putting herself at risk coming so far south, but his heart had not been in it. He fussed because he was scared, which she more than understood. Whether he knew it or not, she had seen the document he had been working on when he had slipped away in the middle of the night, and it was not a speech for the ZPD as he claimed. It was part of a journal, and likely one meant to let his mother—and Judy's parents—understand his thoughts when he was gone.

Nick was worried they were going to die, and might even blame himself for that. It was sobering, and not something she could easily talk him out of, especially with the others around. For all his talk about not letting anyone get to him, he certainly managed to work himself into fits of emotional worry without anyone's help.

Looking around, while keeping her cheek on Nick's chest, Judy saw that Spetz was helping Cannus adjust his splint. The area just above his ankle was swollen badly, and Skye had expressed some concern the bones were fractured. Despite that, Carl had insisted on continuing, and Felix had backed him, to the point of saying he would carry his partner if he had to.

 _Loyalty everywhere_ , she thought, watching the two officers. _Those two are here because they love duty and responsibility more than their own lives, the same way I was before I met my dumb fox. Stan and Markus are here because they love their home, and don't want anyone else to suffer losses like they did. I'm here because I don't want my family or Nick's to ever see the same horrors we put ourselves in the way of. Skye and Harry…those two I don't fully understand._

Judy adjusted her position a little so she could see Skye nearby, staring off into the trees the way she had every time Judy had woken during the night. She was not even sure Skye had bothered to lay down for a minute. Instead, the vixen was lost in thoughts she would never share, her knees pulled up under her chin as she watched the woods south of them. It was the weakest Skye had looked around Judy, and the youngest at the same time. Perhaps she understood Skye far less than she thought.

Near Skye, Harry was packing up his own bedding. He had stayed up most of the night, watching Skye when he thought no one was watching. Judy had noticed it often enough, she knew it was not a random occurrence. Whatever existed between them, Harry's loyalties were to her, not to anyone else. Judy was not sure there was anything like what she had with Nick, but there was a form of love, perhaps closer to the bond between partners like Cannus and Spetz. Harry would die for her, if only because of a kind of respect.

Nuzzling her chin against the fur of Nick's collar, Judy tried to convince herself to get up and begin helping pack up camp, but she really had no desire to. As Skye and Nick had both reminded her more than once since they had taken the truck and begun driving south, they would only have two nights to pretend things were still normal. Now, another hour or two of driving and the first major city would be in sight. At that point, everyone's roles would change, and the act was on. Thus far, they had been in an endless game of following Rolen's trail, tricking one military outpost after another to refuel their truck by having Spetz impersonate a solider.

Judy had certainly done her fair share of acting and manipulation—largely Nick's fault—but this was something new. A few seconds of pretend fear when trapping Bellwether was nothing compared to playing the role of a slave indefinitely, night and day, no matter what might happen. The prospect was terrifying, but for once, she found herself feeding off of Nick's enthusiasm, instead of the other way around. He seemed to cherish the chance to act so completely, accepting the challenge. What he felt behind his smirk was harder to guess, but he seemed to put aside his fears far better than she could. Now, she was constantly struggling to keep from falling to pessimism, while Nick positively glowed.

"You awake, Carrots?" Nick asked, sliding one paw up from where it had rested on her hip and tail all night, to stroke her ears.

"Barely," she lied. Across the camp, Skye looked up from her staring to watch Nick and Judy. "Did you get any sleep?"

Nick chuckled. "About as much as you did. I think I'd rather have stayed up. The nightmares weren't nice."

"Rolen?"

"Of course," he replied. "Keep seeing him throw you off the balcony. Let's not do that again, okay?"

Judy peeked up at Nick, giving him her most cheesy grin. "I always said I could do anything. Maybe I wanna fly."

"If anyone could manage that, it would be you."

Sitting up, Judy slid out of the sleeping bag, and immediately was reminded how cold even the warmer climate of the area could be before the sun had fully risen. She shivered, sliding her hind paws back into the bag and under Nick's side to keep them warm as she tried to acclimate her body. Soon, she was able to ignore the breeze, and got up fully, making her way over to the campfire, where Fangmeyer was sitting with a cup of steaming water.

"G'morning," she said, sitting down as close to the flames as she dared. As nice as the warmth might be, being lit on fire was not something she really believed was something worthwhile to experience. "Where's Stan?"

"Delgato's with the prisoner," Markus answered, staring down at his cup. Before she could ask, he added, "Only one left. The other wolf passed in the night. The bleeding from his wounds started up again around midnight. I told him the truth about who we were before he died. Never saw a mammal so happy to see someone he had wanted to kill a day or two earlier. I don't think I'll ever get used to war. The animals you need to kill are often just following orders. They hate this as much as we do."

Judy's enthusiasm for the day went cold, and all she could do was sit there, staring at the low flames. Her ears felt heavy, weighing her down as she tried not to dwell on the wolves who had died to let Rolen escape. Again. "Any new information on where the second car came from?"

"Yeah." Fangmeyer set aside his cup, looking toward Nick, still in his bedding, though at least his eyes were open. "He told me anything and everything before he passed. Snow and Harry already asked about it, so no need for a briefing. Stan was with me, and I think Carl and Felix were close enough to overhear. Nick can catch up later. Long and short of it is that Rolen figured we'd try to stop him, though he thought he'd gotten far enough away. One car had him, the other had the journals. He wanted to make sure one or the other made it back to the Ursian lands. When we crippled his car, the other picked him up."

"So we completely failed," Judy noted, her shoulders sinking still lower. "Both got away. Do you really think we can find him again?"

The tiger shrugged. "Maybe. Ellis—the wolf who is still alive—gave us good information about the city layout. He's confident Rolen will stop in that first city for about a week, trying to hide out until more soldiers can come to escort him back to the capitol. We have until he leaves to get to him. It won't be easy."

Judy stared into the dying fire for several minutes, weighing whether she really had more to say. There were many questions, but none seemed to matter. What did matter was that Rolen was ready for them. That meant a trap, and everyone knew it.

Judy jumped as strong arms came down around her, but she relaxed as she saw Nick's fur color and smelled him. "I'm not the only one who needs to stop doing that. Snow was really clear we can't be hugging here."

"Last hug before I need to start bossing you around," he whispered near her right ear. "You sure we can do this?"

"We'll find him," she insisted, still watching the fire. "I believe in this team."

"I meant whether we could manage not to cuddle, but that's a reasonable interpretation."

Across the fire pit from them, Fangmeyer snorted and rolled his eyes. "You two are giving me diabetes. Please stop."

Shoving Nick's arms off of her, Judy leaned forward to show she was paying attention to Markus. She jumped a little as Nick subtly put his paw on her hip near her tail, likely to make her uncomfortable. "We need to get into that city and find Rolen, fast. Any suggestions?"

"Plenty," Markus answered, as Nick sat down beside Judy. Nearby, Harry stopped what he was doing, and she saw his ears turn their way. He might be a spy, but he was going to need to work on his subtlety. "If we can keep Nick, Snow, and Stan hidden, we can probably drive right into the city. They've only seen the three of you. The rest of us are still a secret. Even if they do find all of us, only Major Ursa or Rolen himself would recognize anyone."

"Okay, I'll agree to that," Judy said, and then swatted Nick's paw, near her knee. He was pushing his luck, as usual. This was no real surprise. He always was absurdly cuddly in the morning. She was lucky he had not tried to push for some quiet sex in the sleeping bag—which would have been hard to turn down. "What about Carl and Felix? That ankle doesn't look good."

All three of them looked toward Cannus, who was limping toward a denser section of trees to relieve himself. Spetz was watching him, too, but more to be ready to run and catch him if he fell.

"May I add my voice to this?" Harry interjected, moving over to join them.

"Feel free," Judy told him, keeping her voice firm. The desire to throttle him had only faded a little over the recent days. So long as he stayed where she could see him—and kick, if required—she would attempt to be civil. If he tried to sneak up on her the way Nick did, she could not even imagine what she might do to him.

"They're both good officers," Harry went on. "They'll keep going, so long as we let them. This is their only chance to step back from the mission. Once we're in the city, they won't have another chance. I recommend sending them home now. Carl specifically, but I believe Felix will go where he does."

Judy turned her attention back to Spetz, who was watching the trees for Carl's return, his tail lashing back and forth. "Felix? A moment?"

Ears perking, Spetz walked over to join them, despite repeated glances toward the trees. As Judy had expected, he remained silent as he stood over them, waiting for one of them to speak first.

"Felix," she began, suddenly feeling small in front of the predators, now that she had bad news for them. "Do you believe Carl can keep up, if we go after Rolen?"

The leopard's eyes narrowed. "No. I also don't think he'll willingly give up on this. What are you asking me?"

"We need someone to cover us when we try to get out of the area," she continued. The words were getting more difficult by the moment. "If you two could stay behind and ensure our pickup location—"

Felix opened his mouth to object, his fur already bristling, but before he managed to voice his concerns, Nick cut him off.

"Alternatively," Nick said loudly, ensuring Felix would not speak over him, "you two could come with us and we could go straight to the guards asking for help. Play up the injury to get to medical care, which I have to assume would be well inside the city."

For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally, it was Markus who did. "You want them to admit to getting hurt out in the wilderness and ask for an escort into the city?"

"Yes, absolutely," Nick answered, grinning broadly. "Lies are easier to catch than shades of truth. I don't know how their soldiers work, versus our officers, but I have to assume a citizen asking for aid will be sent to a hospital. Am I wrong?"

Harry's ears perked. "Surprisingly, no, you aren't wrong. We can't use the truck once we're close to the city, but otherwise it's a sound plan. Carl will get medical care, while they try to sort out who he is. Interestingly, their medical care isn't far behind ours. That gives us time to move quietly through the city. If Felix stays with him, we can probably leave behind our remaining sat phone, so you two can arrange our escape. No one will pay much attention to you two, and it gives us a viable rendezvous point."

Growling softly, Spetz looked between them, as though waiting for another option. Finally, his shoulders sank slightly. "Fine. I'll convince him, but expect him to be unhappy about this. Injured or not, he's both a soldier and an officer. What's our cover story?"

"Nothing too elaborate, or they'll see through it," Nick explained. "Hiking with friends. Carl twisted his ankle in a hole."

"No," Harry cut in. "They won't buy it if three large predators come in with two small predators and two prey. A fox having a polite conversation with wolves and leopards is…well, it's about as likely as a fox dating a bunny. Maybe less so."

Nick's grin widened. "Shut up, Zippy. Did you forget I own you through Snow? I'm thinking if we play up how much distrust there is, I might be able to justify being there because I don't want to get blamed. The rest of you…I'm not leaving a bunch of slaves back home. That's asking for trouble. You'd burn the place down."

"Because you need to cover your trail, once you're seen around the injury," Harry reasoned, his eyes lighting up. "The wolf would blame you immediately, even if it was his own clumsiness. Going along provides you with believable deniability. The more you object to being blamed, the more likely they'll ignore you in favor of getting the whole story from Carl. When he backs up your version, they'll beg you to leave, because no one likes foxes."

Judy tilted her head to look over at Nick. "Always the hustler."

Nick huffed and shrugged. "Zippy, I'll let that last bit slide just this once. Carrots, you know you love it."

"Whatever you say, sir," she answered, giving him a quick wink. "Just following my master's orders."

As they laughed, Carl came back into sight, still buttoning up his pants. When all five of them looked his way, his eyes widened, and he froze, as though he were about to be scolded for something. "What? Didn't I go far enough out? Is my fly still open? What?"

Spetz hurriedly went over to him, and the two began whispering, while Judy looked around, unsure what to do next. To her surprise, Snow came over to join them, returning from the woods. She rubbed at her muzzle where her glasses normally rested, then sat down near Judy.

"No patrols, which is a good sign," the vixen explained to no one in particular. "Rolen wants his return to remain quiet, so he's not calling out troops against us. Since we don't know the particulars of why he left in the first place, the fact that he's staying low while returning is rather odd."

"Can we get into the city or not?" Judy asked.

Snow nodded readily. "With ease. I can't make sense of this. Rolen declares war on us, but his cities are unprepared for that war. While I don't understand, I'd rather we take advantage of it while we can. It won't last once he's back on his throne."

"Are we talking about an actual throne or a figurative one?" asked Nick, leaning forward so his muzzle was nearly over Judy's head. "Gold inlay and everything?"

Snow's glare felt as though she were mirroring how Judy felt. "Nick, we are not robbing the throne room. Once that sinks in, I will be happy to talk more about what exists in the city. I'd rather not encourage your greed at the moment. Unless Judy wants me to…?"

Judy shook her head, and Snow smiled maliciously at Nick. "I thought not. Nick, you may be my master in these lands, but I'll not encourage you when your hustler ways kick in."

"Thank you for that," Judy said softly, knowing full well that Nick could hear her. "I really don't have time to retrain him. It was hard enough the first time, I don't want to go through that again."

Nick's paw came down a bit more forcefully on her shoulder than she had expected. "Excuse me? Train me? City fox here. I've been training you, bunny. Besides, you two aren't allowed to team up. That's…well…it's not allowed. Master's orders."

Reaching back, Judy plucked Nick's paw away, and shoved it aside. "You don't tell me what I'm allowed to do. We covered that before I moved in."

"Rules change, Fluff," he replied, grinning in his most cheesy way. "We crossed the border and now I'm in charge. I've gotta enjoy it while it lasts, and since I'm a benevolent master, I'm only using my powers to keep myself safe, not to oppress cute little bunnies. Ain't that right, Fangmeyer?"

Across the campfire from them, the tiger huffed. "Do not include me in this, Nick. She will kick your fur off when we're home, if you don't watch out."

"But you understand and back me, right?" Nick pressed.

"Not even a little," Markus answered, getting up slowly. "I'll play my part here, but if Hopps asks, I'll be the first one holding you down for her to retaliate when we get home."

Turning, Judy stuck her tongue out at Nick, who glowered down at her.

"They are going to end up making out if we don't get moving," Fangmeyer pointed out, getting acknowledging mutters from Harry and Snow, to Judy's dismay. "What do we do with the remaining wolf?"

Snow sat up straight, and before Judy could reply, she blurted out, "Put a bullet in him."

"No!" Judy snapped, shoving Nick away so she was ready to move toward Snow. "We aren't going to go around killing everyone, just because we can." Snow's eyes narrowed and turned on Judy, but she refused to back down. Instead, Judy puffed herself up and glowered right back, hoping to get her point across. Eventually, Snow sighed and looked away. "That's what I thought. Markus, I don't want him catching up with us, but I won't have us killing him, when he's already wounded."

The tiger stared at her in bored disbelief, but finally shrugged. "Fine. I'll tranq dart him when we're ready to go. He'll be out for a few hours, tied up, and miles from the city. If he can catch up, we deserve to be found out."

"Okay," Judy told Markus, giving him a firm nod. As though actually trying to destroy her attempt to handle things, Nick reached around her with both arms, pulling her into a hug, which she largely ignored. "Get the truck ready. We should move out within the hour." The others remained where they were, staring at Judy as Nick nuzzled her neck. "He's being adorable, isn't he?"

She looked to Markus first, and he looked somewhat nauseated. Next, she turned her attention to Snow, who appeared more annoyed than anything else. Lastly, she shifted to look at Harry, who had a wistful smirk.

"Nick, you need to stop," Judy warned, just as Nick's nose rubbed against her ear. "I don't care if you're sleepy and cuddly. We're at work."

Squeezing her a little tighter, Nick said softly, "No Bogo, no work. Since I'm not going to get to be like this again anytime soon, I just—"

Judy shut him up by driving her elbow into his ribs. Thankfully, the dumb fox closed his mouth and eased his hug back to a friendly paw on her back.

"Pack up and move out," she continued, thankful to be able to use her mother-voice without Nick spoiling it. "Let's go get Rolen. Tonight or tomorrow, let's be back here, ready to celebrate as we wait for a plane to pick us up."

Most of the mammals grinned and went to ready themselves, but Nick remained at her side. Reluctantly—mostly because she expected him to want a kiss or something else inappropriate at a time like this—she looked up at him. Instead of coy attempts to charm her, she found genuine worry and nervousness in his face.

"Carrots," he began, taking his paws off her and straightened as though trying to look professional. "Are you really ready for this? I haven't liked a single thing I've heard about this place so far."

"Not even a little ready," she admitted. "Are you?"

"No. I'm sorry I'm being a bit clingy. I'm just scared of how things will go, or who I'll need to be. I can play the part as best I can, but you know I can't be mean to you. You went feral and I couldn't make myself restrain you properly. This is even worse. Scarier."

Reaching up, Judy put one paw on his cheek. "You have my permission to be the boss…for now. Remember how rude and overconfident you were when we met?"

"Yes. Not exactly proud of that, Carrots."

"I put up with that and still fell in love with you in spite of it, Slick. I can put up with you bossing me around for a few days. Don't think this is the new norm, but I'm not going to stop loving you just because you yell at me as part of an act. I'm in this for the long haul, no matter what type of sting we need to make, or how silly this gets between us."

Nick took a slow deep breath, then kissed her neck. "Thank you. You know I worry. I'll try to be better behaved."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Best fox ever. Unbelievably professional. You wait. It'll be impressive, Fluff. So professional, you'll have to peel Snow off me."

Judy narrowed her eyes and stared at Nick. "You know that line I tell you not to cross, where you go from funny to obnoxious?"

"Maybe?"

"Crossed it again. Right over the line."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.5 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 25** **th** **, Wednesday – Ursian Formal Border Crossing**

Nick hunkered down as another group of heavily-armed soldiers patrolled past the only visible entrance to the city walls. Behind him, the four large predators remained flat to the ground to stay below cover of the brush, while Nick and Snow watched for the right time to move. Nearby, Judy and Harry stayed low, trying to ensure they were only seen after the foxes. Thankfully, even though it appeared the city worked hard to keep the forest from growing too close to the walls, the brush grew up so quickly that there was always something to hide behind.

"Two patrols," Nick said softly, watching the group move on. "They're in an overlapping pattern, but it's off because the first group is slow, giving us a one minute gap during the first pass, and almost three minutes on the second."

Beside him, Snow shifted to look back at the others. "Thirty seconds and we move. Cannus, will you be able to move somewhat quickly? We'd rather deal with the city guards and not the soldiers."

"He can," Spetz offered, before Cannus could answer, sliding the wolf's arm over his shoulders. "Give the signal."

Nick watched and waited, until the patrol had passed a section of the wall where their view would be obscured. Raising his paws, he gave a quick series of hand gestures Finnick had taught him when they were younger to communicate the need to go now and be quiet. Strangely, no one moved.

"I…go?" Snow hissed, hopping up. "Go, go, go!"

The eight of them got up quickly, with Nick leading the way across the flat land between the brush and the city walls. The rest fanned out behind him, with only Snow working to keep pace at his side. They were barely to the gap in the wall before the first panther city guard called out, ordering them to stop, as several other armed cat species guards ran to join him. Nick did as asked, raising both paws, while the guards ran past him to Cannus.

"What was that signal?" Snow whispered, as she, Judy, and Harry fell in at Nick's sides. "Ball, rhino, butterfly, six? These words don't go together."

"He thinks everyone knows some secret sign language, where nothing means what it looks like," Judy cut in, before Nick could answer. "I'm pretty sure the first one he used on me was, 'Watch me walk while you stay on the butterfly'."

"Would you… This is not the time!" Nick snapped at them both, huffing. "Judy, yours was clearly, 'Watch my tail, let's go'. This time, it was, 'Time for the eight of us to roll'. They aren't that hard. Nowhere in there was a butterfly." Both females stared at him as though he were insane. "Fine. I promise to learn _proper_ sign language when we get home. Can we talk about this later?"

Chatter behind him drew Nick's attention back to Delgato, Cannus, Fangmeyer, and Spetz. Tilting his ears, he listened in as best he could.

"Out hiking with friends, when that asshole fox distracted me," Cannus was explaining. While they had agreed he would blame everything on Nick, the vehemence with which he did it was somewhat surprising. Perhaps blaming the fox came easier than expected. "Stepped in a hole and felt something pop. Can I get some ice or something? And don't let that fox go anywhere. I want a piece of him once I can walk."

Nick made a point of wincing and cringing, even if he was unsure if the guards were watching. First rule of hustling: Someone was _always_ watching. Sure enough, only a second or two later, one of the guards came around to face him.

"Which of you lowlifes speaks for the group?" demanded the panther, her attention drifting back and forth between Nick and Skye. She entirely ignored the two bunnies. "I've got a wounded wolf saying you two—"

"Whoa, no, no, no!" Nick cut in, waving his arms as he put on his best panicked expression. "Not my fault! My partner and I were just going for a walk with the help—"

"Shut it, fox," warned the guard. She no longer paid attention to Skye, focusing in on Nick. "Answer when spoken to, and not before." Dropping his arms to his sides, Nick nodded vigorously. "The wolf says you made him trip out in the woods. What's your excuse, fox?"

"I didn't even know he was there until he started yelling," Nick explained, making up the story as he went and hoping nothing conflicted with Cannus' version. They had tried to line up their ideas before coming to the city, but there was no way to know for sure. "I'm not even sure what he tripped on."

The panther's eyes narrowed, but she did not give any other indication of her thoughts. "Why didn't you run? I thought that's what… _you_...do in that kind of situation."

Nick struggled to ignore the slight. Too many years of it in Zootopia had definitely prepared him for the insults, but it did not make it easy to keep from saying something nasty in response. "If I'd run, I'd be guilty. We both know it. A fox runs off, and everyone for miles around starts claiming we stole their money, or food, or children. Better to go with him and say what really happened."

"You make it sound like your kind aren't causing half the thefts in town," she snapped right back, glowering at Nick. "Still, simply walking past a wolf doesn't make you guilty for his clumsiness. Unless you attacked him—and I can't fathom any wolf admitting to being injured by a fox—you're going to walk away from this. This time."

"Thank you, thank you," Nick said quickly, smiling sheepishly. "Just trying to do the right thing."

"Right. Sure you are. Move along, fox. I don't want to see you cross my path again this week. If you do, I'll have you beaten and jailed to remind you of your place. Get going."

Offering one final meek "thank you," Nick motioned to his three companions to follow and set off into the city proper. The plan would require them to split up to avoid drawing attention, then Delgato and Fangmeyer would meet up with them two streets away. What Nick had not counted on was the complete disarray of the "city." Streets were haphazardly spaced and ran in all directions, as though built as an afterthought. There seemed to be no logic behind the layout of the city, and not a single building was taller than three stories. Even more noticeable, there were few cars or trucks. Most mammals were on paw, or pulling carts themselves.

"The war decimated the region," Skye began explaining, once they were safely past the guards. "Most of this area is a hundred years behind Zootopia. What they do have was either stolen and smuggled across the border, or reverse-engineered from what they found up there. The closer we get to the capital, the more like Zootopia it will get, as the wealth is very concentrated."

"What about the laptop, GPS, and other things?" Judy asked, keeping her head down as they passed a group of lions. "Do we need to ditch them?"

"Not at this point," Skye replied, slowing to fall one step behind Nick as several larger predators began watching their group intently. The change in positioning forced him to walk almost sideways so he could continue conversing. "Someone casually searching us won't think much of them, especially on foxes. They'll assume we stole them. It's one thing they enjoy about foxes…we steal plenty of technology from the north and bring it home."

"Well that explains why you ended up in Zootopia," Nick joked, expecting a scathing reply from Skye.

"You're not wrong," she answered softly. "I was to bring back weapons. It wasn't a tough choice. Daily beatings here, even if I was successful, or execution on-sight if I did not return. Given that my old masters are dead, I shouldn't have to worry about either."

"Are we…in danger?" Judy asked, and Nick could tell she was not quite asking the full question she intended.

Skye turned and stared at Judy for a few seconds before replying. "Yes, but not from someone beating you. Only Nick has the right to do so here. It's taboo to strike someone else's slave, unless that someone is missing or the slave is a proven runaway."

Nick started to give a silly quip, but lost the thought as they reached the second side street. "Let's go wait in the shade over by that fruit market. We should be able to see the main street without drawing attention."

Leading the way—something Nick was struggling to get used to doing, after generally following Judy's lead in everything for as long as he had known her—he made his way into the shadowed gap between two buildings. The other three filed in behind him, and both Judy and Skye practically collapsed once they were out of the sun.

"What gives?" Nick asked, though he kept his eyes on the street. On the sidewalk, one of the elk working a fruit stand moved one of his tables so it was far out of reach from anyone in the alley. Scowling at the blatant speciesism, Nick turned to watch his companions. "We've only been walking for half an hour. Even I'm not tired, and I'm arguably the laziest one in the group."

Judy brushed the dirt off one of her hind paws and began rubbing at her toes. Nick had not noticed previously, but all three nails were broken on that paw. "I tripped a few days ago. Paw still hurts if I'm on it too long, and the uneven ground only makes it worse. I'll be fine, but it's nice to take a break."

"I'm…still adjusting," Skye answered next, tongue hanging sideways out of her mouth as she panted. "I might be from here, but I wasn't built for the heat. Whenever I left and came back, it took a day or so before I felt comfortable again. So long as we don't need to run, I will get through it."

After looking between the two females, Harry lifted his eyes to Nick. "I'm good. Maybe a bit thirsty. Thanks for asking."

"No one asked you, Zippy," Nick replied, looking back to the street. "The day I worry about you is the day I sprout wings and take flight."

"Really feeling the love," Harry said, chuckling. "It's like he was born for his role here."

Nick ignored Harry, and kept watching the street for the other two mammals. He knew it could be a bit, depending on whether they went with Cannus and Spetz to the hospital—or whatever equivalent they had in the area—but he could not help but worry. The longer they were separated, the more likely something could go wrong.

As he internally talked himself through his concerns, a large group of various species soldiers came walking down the street, looking for all the world like exactly the kind of "wrong" Nick wanted to avoid. He shifted a little farther into the alley, hoping the shadows would keep them from drawing attention. If the soldiers saw them, they gave no indication. Given what the guards had said and the hints Skye had given him, even if the soldiers did see foxes in the alley, they probably did not find that unusual in the slightest. No one was complaining, so they could safely continue on without having to run down two foxes.

"Calm down, Nick," Skye told him breathlessly, between pants. "They will be here soon."

"I know. I just do better when I know where all my fellow conspirators are. It's a lot easier to be calm when it's just me."

A gentle brush at his side made Nick jump a little, and when he looked down, he found Judy standing beside him. She was making a point of not touching him, though he knew back home she would have taken his paw to try and relax him. Simply having her nearby was somewhat soothing, which he guessed was why she stood so close, even if she did have her paws clasped meekly in front of her and eyes on the ground.

"You're all too good at the sweet act," Nick told her, grinning. "Gonna be a real shock for me when we get back. Might have to talk you into some roleplaying."

Judy smiled broadly, but kept her ears down and paws clasped. She was actually enjoying the game, if he was reading her right.

Shaking his head and smiling, Nick reached out without thinking, putting his paw on the back of her shoulders. Judy froze when he did it, and he heard Skye's abrupt hiss of breath behind him.

Looking up, Nick saw that a tigress stood across the street, eyeing them warily.

 _Someone is always watching_ , Nick chided himself, wishing he paid more attention to his own advice. _Dumb, dumb fox._

Nick quickly moved his paw to the top of Judy's head and messed up her fur, the way his mother had when he was a kit. The action was playful, but at the same time, a little demeaning to a full-grown mammal. Thankfully, it had the expected result—the tigress began walking away, apparently accepting that he treated his slaves like stupid children.

 _File that one away for the next time I'm an idiot_ , he thought. _It's not all beatings and pawcuffs. Belittling is just as accepted. Good to know._

"Nick," Skye whispered, snapping his attention back to the road.

Distantly, he could see Fangmeyer and Spetz making their way slowly through the city. They looked overly suspicious—likely because of the large duffel over Markus' shoulder, containing his sniper rifle—watching every mammal who passed close to them sternly. They took their time navigating the crowds nearest the marketplace.

"I've got them," Nick answered, motioning for the others to stay where they were.

Padding out into the street, Nick shoved his paws in his pockets, and hurried past the nearby tables to give the shopkeepers some piece of mind. Once he reached the street proper, he turned and headed against the flow of paw traffic, headed toward Markus and Felix. As he went, he kept his eyes down and tail low, hoping to avoid as much attention as he could—and for anyone determined to watch him, it would confirm their belief he was up to no good, which ensured his cover would hold.

A dozen strides shy of his companions, Nick saw Felix look up, but he kept going, marching straight toward them. When he was close enough that they could have patted him on the head, he hissed, "Grab me!"

Nick clipped Spetz, knowing it would appear to the outside world as though he had possibly picked Felix's pockets. Thankfully, the leopard heard his request or figured it out, and reached back, grabbing him by the back of the neck.

"Stop right there, fox," growled Felix, a bit more loudly than necessary. "Markus? Your thoughts?"

Taking him from Spetz, Markus picked him up off the ground to hold Nick in front of his face. "Where you going in such a hurry?"

Putting up a wide-eyed act, Nick whispered, "Alley to your left. The others are waiting."

Markus nodded, glancing past Nick. "C'mon, fox. We're going to have a talk."

Carrying Nick like luggage, Fangmeyer walked across the street toward the alley, while several passersby watched with amused smirks. Nick had apparently read them correctly. Slapping around a fox—even a free one—was not entirely discouraged. Hopefully, none would follow to watch or applaud.

They soon slid into the more comfortable shade of the alley, and Markus put Nick down onto his hind paws, while Felix stood back, watching the entrance to the alley.

"Do you want me to kick you a few times, Nick?" Markus asked, dryly. "Just for show, of course."

"Yes," Skye replied, at exactly the same time Nick and Judy answered, "No."

Nick scowled at Skye, but sat down near Judy as everyone relaxed. "What's the story with Carl's ankle? I actually expected Felix to stay with him, not Stan."

"He'll be fine," explained Markus, leaning on the wall of the building opposite the one Nick, Judy, Harry, and Skye were using. "The doctor said it didn't look bad. One or two days off it and he'll be able to walk carefully. Running's right out for a while. The doctors were a lot more receptive to letting Stan tell them what to do than Felix, so we had to wing it."

"Still not happy about that," Felix said, turning to face the group. "I was perfectly okay with telling that cougar to stuff his attitude."

"It was easier to let Stan do it, since they got along fine. No reason to escalate things," Markus snapped, as though they had gone through that discussion several times already.

"I know, but—" Felix cut himself off, and all eyes went to him as he glanced over his shoulder. "Incoming!"

Markus groaned, then stepped across the narrow alley in a hurry. Grabbing Nick by the shoulder, the tiger shoved him against the brick wall, and began loudly growling to set up the act. Meanwhile, Judy and Harry backed away to cower farther down the alley, while Skye got herself into a stance that looked somewhere between wanting to help Nick and run.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded a female voice, as a large tiger came up to the end of the alley. She shoved the smaller Spetz aside, pushing him against the wall of the alley easily. When Nick looked over, he realized she was the same one who had paused to watch him earlier. "Put the fox down. Now!"

Markus stared into Nick's eyes, clearly confused, but he did not put Nick down. Instead, he tilted his head slightly to look at the tigress. "Excuse me? This doesn't involve you. The fox stole—"

"Then bring him to the guards," the tigress replied sharply, baring her fangs. "He's a free mammal. I can see his arms from here. Press charges, but if you don't take your paw off him, we're going to have issues here."

Nick glanced over at Skye, who shrugged and gave him a very subtle shake of her head. She had no idea what was going on, either. Unsure what else to do, Nick tapped Markus' wrist with his paw, and the tiger slowly eased him back onto his hind paws and released him.

"You're defending a…fox?" asked Markus, doing remarkably well at sounding derisive. "What's it to you, anyway?"

The tigress moved farther into the alley, giving Felix a warning glare when he started to move. Returning her attention to Markus, she answered, "I'm sick of seeing larger mammals hurting and killing smaller ones. If you aren't sure enough he's guilty to get the guards, I'll be happy to bring them myself if you touch any of those four again. You try and stop me, and I can guarantee both of you will wish you hadn't."

Markus slowly removed both paws from Nick and stood fully, backing away as he did. "Okay, fine. We good now?"

"Not even a little," warned the tigress. "You two, leave. If I see you again, I'll show you what it's like getting beaten on by a stronger mammal."

Nick wondered briefly how things were about to pan out. Markus was definitely larger than the female and likely better trained for combat—especially as Nick noticed the female was dressed somewhat elegantly for the region, in a lightweight skirt and flowing shirt—and with Felix to back him up, there was almost no chance of the tigress hurting either of them. Still, they were trying to be subtle in their search for Rolen, and fighting their way out of the alley was not going to help.

"Fine," Fangmeyer growled, giving Nick what amounted to a warning glare. "He's your problem."

Motioning to Spetz, the two large predators made their way out of the alley, leaving the two foxes and two bunnies with the tigress.

"Hey, um, thanks," Nick offered, once he could no longer see Markus and Felix. "You really didn't need to do that."

The tigress snorted and came over, slowly easing herself down on one knee to look over the four of them. "My name is Katrina Groewl, though you can call me Kitty or Katrina, and I did, actually. Someone has to look out for helpless mammals, like yourselves. Not that the bunnies need protection or even understand what we're talking about, but the two of you deserve better than being treated like prey." The tigress' attention drifted to Skye's lower arms. "Or rather, one of you. She's under your protection, I assume?"

"I'm Nick, and my partner here is Snow. Yes, absolutely. All three of them, really." Nick gave a reassuring smile to his three companions, though he could see the annoyance in Judy's eyes, even if her body language did not reveal it. "Again, thank you. That was very kind."

"Nonsense. It's the least I could do. I saw full-well that you didn't steal his money. Now, I insist on you and your property coming with me for dinner. If you don't, I'm certain that lumbering idiot will come after you again. I won't accept refusal."

Nick kept a fake grin on his face as he glanced toward Judy. She gave a meaningful sideways glance at Skye, who nodded slightly at him. Harry did not bother to meet his eyes at all, which he was just fine with. Almost as though answering for him, Nick's stomach grumbled loudly, reminding him they had not actually eaten anything more than tea since the day prior.

"Okay, I think we can do that." Nick offered one paw to the tigress, thinking to have her shake it, but she looked at him as though he were insane, and he quickly dropped his arm. Maybe that was not something they did in these lands, or there were limits to what one was willing to put up with from a fox. "We will have to get home before too long, but dinner wouldn't hurt."

"Excellent," the tigress answered, standing. "I can make sure you and your property are cared for, until you depart. My estate is no stranger to watching out for the littler members of society. Follow me."

Nick winced, and was thankful Katrina was not watching when he did. The statement felt all too similar to one Bellwether had used more than once to both Judy and himself. The last thing he needed was a repeat of that level of crazy, especially from a mammal large enough to break him with one paw.

Katrina did not wait for them, marching out of the alley and looking both ways with a glower, clearly searching for Fangmeyer and Spetz. Apparently not seeing them, she began walking, heading farther south into the city.

"Are you sure about this?" Nick asked Skye, who shrugged in reply.

"I'm sure we don't want to draw attention," Judy cut in, pushing Nick to get him moving after the tigress. "A meal, and we're on our way. We might be able to get more information about the city from them than we could on our own. Play it up, hustler!"

Nick grumbled and gently pulled Judy's paws off him, in case Katrina looked back. Motioning to the group, he headed after her, following a dozen of his steps behind her. As an afterthought, he reached over and caught Skye's paw and held it tightly.

Katrina led the way through the city, navigating past several guard posts, fortified buildings Nick could not guess the purpose of, and more than one marketplace, until at last she turned down another street lined with larger and better-kept homes. She slowed as she approached one such house, which Nick guessed to be easily a hundred years old, but perfectly maintained. It was at the walkway to the door she stopped, motioning for them to pass her.

"Go right in," she offered, smiling warmly. As she opened a low gate in front of the home, a dozen bunnies, squirrels, and even a few large rats hurried out onto the porch, lining up to either side of the door, bent into a slight bow. "Once we're inside, I'll have the help set you up with rooms and changes of clothing. You can stay as long as you need."

Nick hesitated, wondering at the idea that a stranger was no longer just offering food, but an actual place to stay. It really set off alarms in the back of his mind, but there was no backing out anymore. They had already committed. Instead of trying to get an answer silently from his companions, he headed up the path to the house door, watching the "help" carefully. They looked healthy and happy, though a momentary glance was not much to go on. What he could see, though, were the deep scarred marks on their lower arms, like those on Skye and, more recently, Judy. None had whip scars like Harry.

As Nick walked up the two steps onto the porch, a rat offered him a glass of water which he took, while a squirrel on the other side of the door grabbed his pack from his shoulder. They walked with him, as he heard a similar offer behind him for Skye. Then, a gruff whispered exchange caught his attention, and he turned to see one of the bunnies physically shove Judy aside to clear the path for Katrina, while a rat grabbed Harry and likewise moved him.

Nick opened his mouth to object, but Skye caught his wrist and shook her head. Thankfully, by the time he looked again, Judy and Harry were being left alone, standing to one side of the porch as Katrina came inside. Once she passed, the other slaves allowed Harry and Judy to enter behind them.

"The arctic is yours, not someone else's?" the tigress asked, as she walked up to them in the front hall. "I saw her markings, and prefer not asking the city records department such things."

"Yeah, mine," Nick answered, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. It was not a question he was ever going to get used to being asked, let alone with Judy nearby. "She and the female bunny are mine. The male is hers."

Katrina's whiskers flattened, then she motioned to one of the squirrels. "Twitch, please get them a room. Even if they don't stay with us past dinner, I want them to have a place to rest and change before eating."

"As you ask, ma'am," the squirrel replied, bowing deeply. He then scurried over to the stairs and looked back at Nick. "Sir, if you would follow."

Attempting to maintain his act—and keep someone who knew what to say close—Nick reached back and took Skye's paw, leading her after the squirrel. To his surprise, the other slaves cut Judy and Harry off from following.

"Hey!" Nick blurted out without thinking. "Those two are with us."

"Nonsense," Katrina replied, sneering. "They'll stay with the other servants. I wouldn't dream of forcing you to stay with the help. We're not savages, Nick. My home is large enough, you will not need to see them any more than necessary. They will be taken care of, though. You have my assurances."

Nick looked to Judy, and the misery in her eyes was unmistakable. It seemed like every time they managed to find a way to be together, something new forced them apart. At least this time it was just in different parts of the same house.

"Okay, that makes sense," Nick replied, trying to smooth over his outburst. "My home is definitely not so large. Thank you."

"Of course." The smug smirk from the tigress let him know she appreciated the flattery regarding her home. "One cannot expect a fox's home to be extravagant in this city these days. I understand completely. Muffin, please show the bunnies to their quarters."

A brown bunny bowed and led Judy and Harry down a hallway, taking them toward the back of the house. Once they were out of sight, Nick had no further reason to stall, and began following the squirrel again, barely even aware he was clinging tightly to Skye's paw.

They were led up the stairs, then down a long hallway past many rooms with closed doors, before coming to an entire wing of the home that seemed set up for guests. On either side of the hall, open doors revealed two small bedrooms, and Nick was certain he saw bathrooms attached to each. Twitch led them to the second bedroom on the right, where he stopped and motioned for them to enter.

"Oh, is this for me?" Nick asked, grinning as he saw how plush the room was. He had never managed to scam his way into such a nice—though small—room before, and the idea of enjoying it for an afternoon felt like a reasonable concession to a few hours without Judy.

"For both of you," answered the squirrel, motioning again. "We maintain this room for mammals your size. The clothing in the wardrobe should include some that fits each of you. Feel free to take your time cleaning up, or have a short nap. Dinner will be ready in about three hours. Until then, I will send up a servant to stay in the hall at all times for any of your needs."

"Both?" Nick asked, feeling his skin go cold, despite the heat and his fur. "As in, for her _and_ I?"

Skye jabbed him hard in the ribs. "My master is sometimes overly modest. Thank you. I will handle matters, until we need assistance or it is time for dinner. I will ensure he is properly dressed and brushed for presentation."

The squirrel bowed again, then quickly ran back the way they had come, leaving the hall empty.

"Go on," Skye told him, giving Nick a gentle nudge toward the room. "We can talk inside."

Reluctantly, Nick went into the fine room, wishing Judy could be there to enjoy it, too. The thick carpet made the floor feel squishy under his paws, easing the strain from walking so much recently. Paintings and mirrors lined the walls, giving him a sense of the place being far larger than it was. A pair of wardrobes were along the walls on either side of the bed, and a door into a bathroom stood open. It was then that Nick's attention went back to the bed. Not only was he sharing a room with Skye, but the bed was rather tiny. Two bunnies might be able to share it without cuddling, but certainly not two foxes.

"Before you say the words, yes, I understand your concerns," Skye noted, closing the door behind her. "Play the role, Nick. This is exactly what I warned you about. We get cleaned up, get changed, and we have a nice dinner. After that, we spend some time talking nicely with Kitty, then we go. This isn't a big deal."

Nick swallowed hard, turning his back on Skye to look between the bathroom and the lack of hiding places in the room proper. "Okay. We can clean up without this getting awkward. Maybe if one of us takes their things into the bathroom, while the other waits here…"

Skye unceremoniously dropped something on Nick's shoulder, and he looked down to see she had tossed both her pants and shirt there. His mind did not fully register what that meant before he turned farther to see her finishing the removal of her underwear and a thigh gun holster he had not known she wore—before his eyes drifted upward and he quickly turned his back to her to keep from looking. Still, aside from Silvia and Judy, the number of real live undressed females he had seen over the last few years—other than at the Mystic Springs Oasis, or climbing out of Finnick's van—was right around zero, making it hard not to pay extra attention. Desperately, he wanted to bury his face under Judy's ears to hide for a while, until he could make himself not think about it.

"Please tell me you're not undressed," he said, trying to ignore the clothing on his shoulder, and the gun holster hitting the floor. Looking down and slightly behind him, he could see Skye's bare legs up past her knee, and quickly turned his gaze straight ahead.

"Fine, I won't tell you," Skye replied, walking right past him entirely naked. She headed straight for the bathroom, before turning to look at him. "You would make a terrible agent, if this is all it takes to rattle you, Nick. I expect you to get over this, and quickly. I didn't even _do_ anything. I've done far worse to recruits just to startle them. You're making this far too easy. They will expect me to be brushing down your fur while you are undressed, and I will play the part as far as I need to."

The door to the bathroom closed, and Nick heard the shower turn on. Shivering nervously, he tossed Skye's clothing on the floor. Deep down, he wondered if he was going to be in trouble for this, or if Judy would have agreed with Skye. Either way, he felt a little sick to his stomach, and went to the bed to lay down.

"You can do this," he assured himself, staring at the ceiling over the bed, while fidgeting with both fore and hind paws. "It doesn't matter if she looks really good or not, you're with Judy. One-mammal fox. Get it straight, stupid. And get everything Finnick has ever said out of your head!"

Sitting up, Nick rubbed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts of Skye out of his head. He had no attraction to her, that much he was certain. Still, an attractive vixen was still attractive, even if he had no rational desire for her. Worse still, with her playing the role of his lover, he was going to have to stay close to her no matter what, which was all but a guarantee the image of her without her clothing was going to stay with him a while. The sooner they got out of the region, the better.

 _Concentrate on the job, not her back where it meets her tail,_ Nick scolded himself, slapping his forehead gently. _Judy is going to make fun of you for this. She can read romance novels and not question her feelings. You can look at a vixen and not wonder about being with her. It's not that hard. Dammit…word choice, Nick. Keep it in your pants and keep her from knowing you liked what you saw. Look but don't touch. Judy said that much is fine back in the city, and she said to go ahead and stick with the act here. She knows this could get awkward, so just don't push your luck and you aren't ruining your relationship. Besides, Skye is an absolute bitch…_

"All yours," Skye called out, making Nick flinch. Somehow, he had ended up revisiting his brief glimpses of her naked without realizing he was off-topic in his own head. "There's no fur driers in this home, so we're resorting to towels and a lot of brushing."

Nick got up, intending to head for the shower, but he froze when he found Skye standing stark naked in front of one of the wardrobes, studying the clothing there as her tail wagged slowly.

"Um, could you…" Nick began, trailing off as the curve of Skye's back drew his eyes. Closing them tightly, he forced himself to continue. "Could you please put something on? That's really distracting."

"I can tell," she replied, but he did not hear her move away from the wardrobe. "Get control over yourself, Nick. I'm naked, not seducing you. You would know if I was. You should also know that the thin cloth they use in the clothing here shows off male interest all too well."

Grumbling, Nick put his paws over the front of his pants and headed for the bathroom. He closed the door far harder than he had intended, but it at least ensured he would not be tricked into looking again. Sighing, he sat down on the edge of the shower.

 _Judy might not care, but I do,_ he muttered to himself, reaching back to turn on the water. After a moment, he reached up again, switching the water to a far colder setting. _Brush it off. Naked fox—who cares? You know you love Judy. Skye's a distraction, and nothing more. Judy is downstairs right now, worried about you. Don't be stupid._

"You all right in there?" asked Skye, knocking lightly on the door. "I'm sorry if I was overly crass. We're supposed to be together, so I want to make sure you're ready to play that part. I'll behave myself. I was serious about the brushing, but I should not have teased."

"More worried about how I behave right now," Nick called back, rubbing his eyes.

"Would it be reassuring if I said I would break all of your fingers if you touched me?"

"A little."

Nick could hear Skye's muffled giggles even over the water and closed door. "Very well. I'll keep you honest, so long as it doesn't endanger the mission. I promise."

"Thanks," Nick replied softly, forcing himself to stand. The amount of effort it took to remove his clothing was far more than he remembered. Idly, he took note of the fact he was still a little caught up on the idea of Skye naked, judging by firm aspects of his countenance in the mirror. He knew deep down that was out of his control, but he still felt disgusted by himself. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Take your time."

Nick climbed into the shower, immediately shivering in the cold water. Somehow, it was still refreshing after the long hot day, and did not quite kill his thoughts or unwanted feelings. Despite dreading the cold, he quickly turned the knob all the way to its lowest setting, all but ensuring his body would not get any ideas for hours.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 5.6 – We're Not in Zootopia Anymore

 **August 25** **th** **, Wednesday – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

"I'm actually surprised you two have as much baggage as you do," noted the black bunny, who had introduced himself as Midnight, as he led them through the house, after Muffin had gone to help other servants. Midnight had insisted on carrying both of their makeshift bags himself, despite Judy's reservations about him being so close to discovering their handgun and other contraband. "Even one bag between you is more than most of us have. Your master must not pack lightly when traveling."

Judy trailed Midnight by several steps, with Harry farther behind. She kept quiet a little longer, as they passed through an extravagant dining room, and then into a kitchen where deer, rabbits, squirrels, and at least one elk were working on preparing food. As soon as they left the kitchen, they started down an ill-maintained back hallway, where she could no longer smell any species which were not prey.

"He expects us to have a lot ready at any time," she explained. "Cooking supplies and whatnot is most of it. Nothing too exciting. He always wants us prepared. Nothing in there is ours, obviously."

Midnight nodded with understanding. "Foxes are pretty well-known around here for their vanity and needs. You're lucky you're not bringing half of your household goods with you. Actually, you're lucky you're not bringing half of someone else's household goods with you."

Judy slowed nearly to a stop and stared with wide eyes at the water stained walls, where mold had begun to invade. It felt as though she had entered an entirely different world after passing the kitchen. The contrast was so stark, she had to check over her shoulder to see the finery of the previous areas.

"Haven't been a house servant long, have you?" asked Midnight, grinning back at her. "Or is his house that much smaller?"

Giggling softly, and hoping that would cover for the expressions she could not as easily conceal, Judy replied, "A little of both. Zippy here has been with the master a lot longer. Nick doesn't have much of a home. Just a couple rooms, really. I'm surprised how large this place is."

"Mistress Groewl maintains her late husband's ancestral home," Midnight explained, motioning broadly, as though the desolate serving quarters were still regal. "The serving quarters haven't seen a lot of attention in the last sixty years or so, but the house itself has been kept up for nearly two hundred. It's one of the older estates in the area. It dates back to before the first bear rose to power."

Almost as an afterthought, Midnight reached into his tattered old shirt and pulled out a ceramic claw, which looked to Judy to be a copy of a bear's. This, he raised to his mouth and kissed, before dropping the necklace back under his shirt. He then tucked the chain under the worn old collar that sat low on his neck.

Looking back, Judy saw Harry mimic the movement, though without a necklace. She was going to need to find out about that later.

"I didn't catch your name," Midnight said, once they entered a far larger room, with only a pair of windows to light the place, both covered with bars on the outside. The small amount of light from the windows had difficulty casting anything more than shadows in the place, given that it was as long as the whole home and wide enough that Judy could have lain five of herself head-to-toe without touching both walls. "The mistress rushed your master off before he could introduce you both. You mentioned his name, but not your own."

"Either Fluff or Carrots, depending on Nick's mood. He's Zippy," she answered, looking around the room's walls for a hint as to its purpose. Harry had explained to her during their time in the woods that she could really get away with almost any "cute" name. Before she could add more, she noticed the blankets piled unceremoniously in one corner of the room. Sniffing, she realized the whole place smelled of unwashed mammals.

"You'll be staying here, if your masters decide to spend the night," Midnight went on, gesturing broadly at the room. "All of the other servants do, too. When it's time to bed down, grab whatever blankets you need from the corner, and huddle for warmth, as this part of the house is unheated. For now, is there anything you two need? We don't have much, but there's usually a few bites of food available before the masters have eaten."

Stepping up alongside Judy, Harry finally joined the conversation. "Your mistress, what will she expect of us? In some homes, guest servants are expected to stay hidden away until their masters leave. Others want the servants to be prominent in helping, as a way of showing inclusion. Which is this?"

Midnight smiled warmly, as though pleasantly surprised. "Thank you for asking. You clearly have been a servant far longer than Fluff. Most make assumptions, and we end up having to smack them with sticks to get them moving. Mistress Groewl will want you two to be out there as part of the serving staff. I recommend getting cleaned up, so you present well."

Judy followed Midnight's vague thrust of his thumb toward the far corner of the room, where a large bucket of water sat, alongside a hole in the floor she assumed—based largely on smell—to be a pit latrine. Near the bucket, several fur-tangled brushes lay, clearly having been used by many different mammals.

"Thank you," Harry offered, when Judy did not immediately find words. "We'll present ourselves to the kitchen shortly."

Midnight gave them both a polite bow of his head, then headed back the way they had come. Soon, he closed the door behind him as he left.

"This isn't too bad," Harry said, looking around the room with a slight smirk. "I've certainly seen worse. The smell takes some getting used to, but clearly Katrina keeps her servants in good health, as I only smell dirt and not disease. Many owners neglect vaccinations, and their servants suffer for it."

"I haven't seen anything like this before," Judy admitted, whistling softly. "It looks like something out of an old movie."

"Welcome to last century," Harry replied.

Blinking hard, Judy began moving through the room slowly, trying to take everything in. It was not just the disrepair of the place that drew her attention, but smaller things, like how stained the floorboards were from having many bodies sleeping on them for years. The worst was the latrine, which she was still not quite ready to look too closely at, let alone use. With luck, they would not be staying long.

A loud—at least to her ears—thump startled Judy, and she spun around to find Harry marching across the room. Each step he took, he brought his large hind paws down hard and flat, paused, and then took another step.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked, cocking her head as she watched him.

"Searching for hiding places," he explained. His next step, the floorboards echoed slightly. "Like this one. No home this old would be without at least one. I'm guessing there's a few dozen in here. With a good master, you hide extra food or a change of clothes, so they don't think you have too much, but you can still get by. With a bad master, you're usually hiding as much food as you can scrounge, as well as stolen medicine, bandages, and anything you want to keep as a reminder of better times."

Reaching down, Harry picked at the floorboards with his finger claws, until one came up easily. Setting it aside, he practically put his head down under the floor, looking around briefly. "Not a lot in this one. Looks like they've been hiding things elsewhere, or they never want for much. That's good for us. Come over here."

Judy went over to stand alongside Harry, where she could see into the shallow hole under the floorboards. It looked as though some mammal had dug it with their bare paws, leaving an uneven dirt-lined gap where a few small items might fit.

"Backpack, please," he asked, beckoning with one paw.

Judy knelt alongside Harry, and lowered the backpack they had taken from the soldiers to the floor. From it, Harry quickly dug out the two pistols they had brought, as well as the satellite phone. All of these went into the hole, before he closed it up again.

"Now, let's get some of the mud off, before we need to be serving our _masters_ their dinner," Harry told her, getting up slowly as he stared at the floorboards. "Basin of water should have some towels beside it. Brush out your fur first, then use the water and towels to get any remaining dirt out. We don't get running water, unless it's from a high-powered hose."

Despite how much she wanted to object to being told how to bathe, Judy knew it was justified. She might have grown up in the relatively backwoods Bunnyburrow, but it was still a futuristic paradise compared with this area. Roughing it in the burrow meant one had limited hot water, not that the burrow had no running water at all. Idly, she wondered if Nick and Skye were dealing with equally-rustic amenities, even if nicer-looking. As much as she wanted to clean all of her fur, she settled for brushing out the visible sections, lest she have to undress at all around Harry, who she still did not entirely trust to keep his paws to himself. Not that she generally was okay with undressing around anyone but Nick.

A half hour later, Judy sat on the floor, waiting as Harry finished the last of his own prep. He clearly had more experience dealing with the lack of a shower, as he had gotten more done to clean and smooth his fur in the last ten minutes than Judy had in twenty. Thankfully, he had not been critical of her struggles—or her obvious disgust at using someone else's brush for her fur. Even her and Nick did not share a brush. Sharing with strangers was not just distasteful, but was also an overly easy way to catch lice or mange.

 _Half your family has had lice at some point_ , she reminded herself, as she watched Harry finish primping with his shirt off. _If that's the worst that comes out of this mission, you need to consider that a victory._

"Okay," Harry finally announced, after checking his clothing for any dirt that was not permanently imbedded in the cloth. "Let's go be helpful. I'll try to keep you out of the kitchen itself—"

"I'm not incapable of cooking," she snapped, before he could explain. "If it's because I don't know the recipes here, you can fill me in as we go."

Harry's ears went up and rigid. "Snow didn't explain, or didn't know. I paid a bit of extra attention on the way in. Oh, this is going to be bad. I don't want to do this here. I need you to be very careful to hide your feelings during dinner, no matter what happens. Do you understand?"

Judy stared at him, not really grasping the fear in his voice. "Yes?"

"Good. Let's go. You will want to not be in the kitchen. Trust me on this." As Harry passed her, heading for the hall back to the main part of the house, Judy got up and followed.

The return trip, Judy was able to look around far more than during their arrival. She was soon able to pick out a variety of smaller sections within the servant wing, including what appeared to be a medical office, and a single door which led outside. Through it, she could see several young elk cutting firewood in a yard, surrounded by a high fence. Getting out that way would not be easy, unless the yard had an unlocked gate, which she seriously doubted.

They soon made it to the kitchen, where the other prey were still feverishly working to finish several dishes. As fast as one item came out of the oven, another would go in, making it difficult for Judy to recognize anything. The scents were muddled with spices she did not know, but somewhere within it all, she picked up something that made her stomach clench. An instinctive need to get away required extra effort to suppress.

Meat. Real meat. Likely chicken, turkey, or something similar.

Sighing, Judy followed Harry past the food preparations, out to another group of squirrels and rats, who were folding cloth napkins, and wrapping them around silverware. There, she was far enough from the cooking that she was able to keep her mind from trying to figure out what breed of bird was in the oven. Given the way Harry had behaved, he had be assuming she had never handled chicken, despite living with a fox.

"Hi," Harry offered, as they entered the room, though none of the smaller mammals looked up. "Fluff here keeps getting her ears in a bunch about what they're cooking in there. Mind if she joins the serving crew?"

Without a word, two of the squirrels parted to leave space between them for Judy, while a rat slid a pile of plates to that spot.

"Thank you," Judy told them, taking her place. With a grunt, she picked up the stack of plates meant for mammals closer to Katrina's size. "I'll go put these out. Are there really nine mammals eating tonight?"

One of the rats looked up and shook her head sharply. "Three. The large plates are for the main course and shouldn't go out yet. Smallest plates are for desert. Medium plates can go out right now, and will be for the salad and appetizers."

Judy stayed still a moment, nose twitching as she tried to process the idea that they were serving a multi-course meal. In the back of her mind, she thought back to the extravagant restaurant Nick had taken her to on their first real date, with its many forks. Now, she had to somehow keep up with that level of intricate dining as the server.

After sorting the plates and leaving several sets behind, Judy made her way into the dining room, barely able to see around the stack of three very large plates she held. She went to the table, where she found a stool near one end, which she used to get all three plates close to one of the chairs. She then moved the stool and slid two of the plates to the next spot, then adjusted one last time to finish placing the last. It was a lot of work for someone else's meal, and far more difficult given that she could not even come close to seeing the top of the table from the ground.

Voices in the hallway caught her attention, and her ears went up as she picked out Nick's among them. It sounded as though Katrina was bringing him and Skye to the dining room.

 _Thank goodness_ , she thought, smiling as she adjusted the chairs. _We're that much closer to leaving._

A moment later, Katrina led the way into the room, nearly walking right over Judy. The tigress never once looked down, clearly expecting Judy to be the one to move, which she did, scurrying back behind the door to clear the room for the larger mammals. Next, Nick and then Skye entered, each giving her very subtle and brief glances. Something between them felt off, and Judy wondered if they had been fighting again. Given that they were now deep in territory controlled by someone who intended to start a war with their homeland, she dearly hoped those two would find enough common ground to behave until they were finished. If she could tolerate Harry for a few days, they could certainly find some way to get along.

Once all three predators had entered the room, Judy closed the door behind them, then went back to the kitchen to ensure she was not under-paw. She slid past the heavy door separating the ornate dining room from the kitchen—which, in its own way was a stark transition before the servants' quarters—and stopped to stay out of the way of the cooks. Deer and elk hurried to and fro, carrying dishes laden with aromatic foods, while the smaller mammals like Harry were running about on the counters, preparing the dishes for the hoofed mammals to take.

"Fluff," Harry called out when he noticed her, "they're putting everything on the small shelves near the door. The deer will set the table and serve dishes, and we'll be assisting as needed."

Before Judy could ask for more detail, Midnight came over and draped an apron over her shoulders. He then pointed toward low shelves set into the wall. "The pitchers are our main duty, along with replacing any napkins that get dirty. Don't talk, don't ask questions, and be there to refill drinks before they realize they need it. Other than that, all the normal duties any household would ask of you."

Judy opened her mouth to inquire what those "normal duties" might be, but Midnight turned his back on her to grab two pitchers. One, he shoved into her paws, and the other he held as he adjusted his own apron.

"Let's go," he said, holding the door open after one of the elk carried a huge bowl through.

Judy caught the scent of a mixed salad, and wished she could chase down the elk. It had been far too long without real food.

Taking a deep breath, Judy followed the elk into the dining room, then took up a position along the wall near another bunny who already stood there holding fresh napkins draped over her forearm. Midnight likewise stepped in alongside her, his eyes unfocused as he stared at nothing in particular. Judy looked back at the other bunny, finding the same expression. Somehow, they had learned to not only accept their jobs without question, but also ignore everything around them. This was not something Judy excelled at, and that was not likely to change.

"…isn't exactly common to see your species around here," Katrina was saying, leaning back in her chair as the elk began filling her plate. "I'd say I've seen maybe five foxes in the city in the last year."

"To be entirely honest," Nick began, and both Judy and Skye looked up at him sharply, "we're traveling. My home is a little southeast of here. I'm sorry if I get confused sometimes about how things work here, as there are a few differences between the cities. Nothing big, but just enough to confuse this dumb country fox."

Katrina smiled warmly, and Skye appeared to relax. As Katrina began speaking again, food was placed on Nick's plate next, before the elk moved to serve Skye. "I understand completely. Perhaps we should return to this topic, once we have finished our salads. I have a rather large interest in cultural differences."

The room descended into near-silence as the three mammals ate their salads. Despite smelling egg whites mixed into the salads—likely to make them more appetizing to predators—Judy's stomach growled painfully, reminding her she had not eaten in some time. Eggs were something she had gotten used to avoiding with Nick around, so they were easier to ignore than whatever was being cooked. Unfortunately, this was far from the right time to climb into his lap and eat his salad, even if she could tell from his expression that he was not really enjoying it.

"I believe you'll like the next course," Katrina said, once she had slid her salad plate aside. Almost immediately, one of the deer hurried over and swept away the plate, replacing it with one of the larger plates. Across the table, Skye finished her tea, and Midnight ran to her side, running right up a nearby stool to refill her cup. "It's a traditional meal for honored guests, but sadly, not one many are willing or able to serve anymore. Thankfully, I know several of the butcher and one in particular who does good work, and I have servants able to follow my grandmother's recipes. Your timing, arriving today, was rather fortunate."

Judy swallowed a bit of bile in her throat at the idea of a local butcher. It was hard enough for her to convince herself Nick's chicken magically appeared in their fridge, without imagining how it came to be in that condition. That a city processed enough meat for animals to make chopping birds up worthwhile as a profession was deeply disturbing to her.

"Sneak out if you have to," whispered Harry, so low that Judy almost did not hear him. "This won't be easy to watch. Do not throw up in here."

Judy looked sideways at Harry, to keep from having to change her position and thus draw extra attention. He did not appear as though he were joking, making her wonder what they could possibly be serving.

From the kitchen, one of the elk brought a covered platter, which he placed at the end of the table. He lifted the cover, releasing the scent of seasoned and roasted meat of some sort. Again, Judy's stomach lurched, and the sensation only worsened when the elk began cutting off chunks of meat from the larger roast. When he finished, the elk carefully served a large slice of meat onto Nick's plate, then Skye's, and finally Katrina's. Once that was done, he scooped small piles of rice—chicken-fried, if her nose was telling her true—onto each plate, and then took the platter back into the kitchen.

"This is… I'm not sure I know what this is," Nick was saying, eyeing the food cautiously. "I've definitely never had this. It smells absolutely divine, though. May I ask?"

Beside Nick, Skye stared right at Judy, then at Harry. She looked genuinely afraid for some reason, and slid her plate several inches away. Judy swore she saw tears at the corners of Skye's eyes, making her wonder all the more what was going on.

"Oh, I know that look," Katrina said, still smiling as she turned her attention to Skye. "Please, darling, do not assume I'm that sort of mammal. Few are, these days. No one died for this. It's all sourced appropriately. Feel free to eat, without worry. Your…lower station…clearly makes this a concern about where the meat came from, but I assure you I am a responsible mammal, and know that my butcher is, too. You and yours are in no danger."

Wincing, Skye pulled her plate close again, while Nick watched her nervously.

"Do eat," Katrina insisted, picking up a knife and fork. "It would be rude not to. This was hardly cheap, but for guests, I consider it absolutely worth the cost."

Nick clicked his tongue—apparently trying to make up his mind as to whether he had an out or way to ask more questions—but then picked up his own utensils. Slowly, he cut off a piece of the roast, while Skye did the same, though she did not pick up the piece she cut off, instead leaving it on her plate.

Nick raised the meat to his nose, sniffing faintly. "It does smell interesting. Are you sure you should be sharing something this nice with…you know…me?"

"I am certain. A guest is still a guest, regardless of station or species." The tigress raised her own fork with a large piece of meat on it. "Dig in, Nick. Let's see if you can recognize the flavor. It may be a delicacy, but some things nature doesn't let us forget."

Nick gave Judy a brief glance, then brought the meat to his mouth. Despite his initial hesitation, his eyes lit up and he sat up straight. "That's incredible. I'm still a huge chicken fan, but that's a close second. It's not fish. Doesn't taste like poultry. Might I ask now?"

"Of course," Katrina replied, finally eating her own piece. "So hard to get these days. I tend to prefer fish myself, but a rare delicacy is worth sharing. It's rabbit, of course. One of my servants passed recently, giving us this opportunity."

Judy clamped her mouth shut as vomit rose in the back of her throat. Across the room, Nick had all but frozen, and his ears were sinking quickly as his eyes darted between Katrina and Judy. With what looked to be a pained struggle, he swallowed.

"Amazing," he whispered, gently setting down his utensils. "I can't say I've ever had that before. Doesn't it…you know…rattle the help?"

Katrina smiled and gave Midnight a warm glance, though Judy did not see him react in any way. "Nonsense. When Butters passed, it was sad for everyone. Better to make her memorable like this, than to let the city burn the remains. I know, it's not widely accepted in some parts of the region, but old traditions die hard. I'd far rather see such meals come from a friend who passed on, then from a questionable butcher picking bunnies off the street. That still happens in some areas, you know. Horrifying, really."

Judy fought to keep her breathing under control, lest she hyperventilate as she stared at the steaming meat on the table. Her paws were shaking badly, and she had to clasp both on the pitcher of lemonade she held to keep it from sloshing around. Somehow, Harry seemed unbothered beside her.

 _It's why Harry wanted me out of the kitchen_ , she realized, keeping her eyes on the pitcher. It took all of her willpower to not watch Nick or Skye, wondering whether they continued to eat. _He knew this would get to me. He's not wrong. How could Nick… It's not his fault, Judy. He didn't know. He has to play the part. If he doesn't eat, Katrina will know something's wrong. Don't freak out. Breathe in. Breathe out. We made it through Silvia, we made it through Rolen, we can make it through…sweet cheese and crackers…can we really make it through him EATING a bunny? I can't even blame it on Night Howlers!_

"Are you all right, child?" asked Katrina of her, snapping Judy's attention back to the mammals nearby. This time, both Midnight and Harry were also looking at her. "You look ill. Nick and Snow, have you had her checked lately? You know how they end up with parasites. If she hasn't been dewormed in a while, that may be worth looking into."

"Or…and I'm just throwing it out there…maybe she's bothered by the idea of us eating one of her kind," Nick offered, ignoring a very unsubtle elbowing from Skye. He quickly slid his plate away from himself. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me, but all of my servants other than Snow are bunnies. It's hitting a little close to home."

Katrina watched Nick and Skye for several seconds, before nodding and sliding her own plate away. "I am deeply sorry. I had not given it much thought. Bunnies and other prey are so much a part of our lives that we end up attributing near-predator feelings and emotions to them. I certainly did not mean to elicit a sense of eating your own servants, or worse, extended family."

"It's really quite all right," Nick offered, the relief evident. Beside him, Skye looked no less relieved as she eased her plate to one side. "My mate here, as well as our servants, are all the family I have. Whether they are predators or not, they do recognize their own…cooked or otherwise. If it would not be too much to ask, could my servants go elsewhere while we talk? Fluff is looking downright sick, and I don't want her to ruin things more than I have."

Sighing, Katrina turned on her chair so that she loomed over Judy. Normally, Judy would not have felt any fear from larger predators, unless they had shown themselves to be a threat, but something about smelling meat—rabbit meat—on the tiger's breath made Judy squirm and try to look smaller than she already was.

"You do look awful," Katrina noted, reaching down and gently petting Judy's head. "Go get some sleep. Midnight, please take Fluff and Zippy to the servants' quarters. If she needs anything more, such as a doctor, please notify me right away."

Midnight bowed slightly, then set aside his pitcher. He motioned to Judy and Harry and went out the door into the kitchen with them following close behind.

The smell in the kitchen only made Judy's stomach churn that much more, and she did not get farther than the trash before she knew she had lost control. Grabbing at the rim of the can, she hoisted herself up, and vomited until what little she had eaten or drank that day was long gone. Still gagging as she eased back onto her hind paws, she gasped and looked at Midnight in sheer embarrassment.

"Don't worry," he told her, keeping his voice low. He offered a rag and a glass of water, once she had caught her breath. "Not every household can afford food like that, so most prey haven't smelled it. None of us will hold it against you. It took me until the third time the mistress had it cooked before I could leave my bedding while it was in the house. She's very understanding."

Unable to find words, Judy simply mumbled something indistinct and sipped at the water until she was certain she was not going to vomit again. To her dismay, Harry put one arm over her shoulder and helped her get moving again, but this was hardly the time to break his ribs. She honestly did appreciate the gesture and the cover for her inability to blend in, even if she wanted him to get far away from her.

They headed away from the kitchen, navigating through unlit halls, until they finally reached the large room where she had Harry had cleaned up earlier. There, several other prey mammals were curled up on or under blankets, though most of the room remained open.

"Get some rest," Midnight told Judy, eyeing Harry's arm over her shoulders. "I'll bring you back some food—safe food—soon. Can I do anything to help before I get back to the mistress?"

"No, thank you for everything," she answered, smiling at the kindness.

Midnight glanced over at Harry, then back to Judy. "Will you both be bedding down?"

The look, Judy understood all too well. "Yes, but not together."

A flinch of surprise from Harry could be felt through his arm. Midnight, however, looked more than a little relieved as he replied, "Really? Okay, well I hope you feel better soon. We'll be checking in on you."

Judy thanked Midnight again as he left, then looked around the room. Five other mammals were curled up in two cuddling piles. The corner of the room still held plenty of blankets, which she began walking toward, only to have Harry's arm over her shoulders keep her from easily turning. Reaching up, she slapped his arm away, then continued across the room to the blanket pile, where she grabbed one with fewer holes in it than most of the others.

"What are you doing, Fluff?" Harry asked, still standing where she had left him. He looked truly concerned for some reason. "We should be sticking together."

Judy snorted. "Fat chance of that. I'll be over here, getting some sleep. Wake me up when it's time to go or to work."

Judy mostly ignored Harry as she began to smooth out her threadbare blanket. She could hear him bedding down partway across the room. Laying down on one half of the blanket, she wrapped the other half over herself. She pulled the trim up to her nose, trying to curl up as small as she could. For a moment, she thought the ache in her stomach from not eating and the earlier sickness would keep her from sleeping, but she was sound asleep long before Midnight returned.

When Judy woke next, she still lay in the dark room, and briefly could not remember where she was. Her first realization was that a small plate of lettuce and tomatoes lay near her face. Someone had arms around her, and another warm body lay in front of her, giving her a sense of being trapped. She quickly realized she was in the servants quarters, and thought maybe the room had filled up to the point the others had no choice but to get so close to her. That belief died as whoever's arms were around her began sliding their paws under her blanket, tracing the curves of her body, moving toward the button that held her pants in place.

Judy's mind raced, and she tried to get a glimpse of the arm groping her, in case she needed to truly murder Harry, but the fur was so dark as to be difficult to see clearly in the unlit room. A sniff confirmed Midnight was the one holding her.

"Let me go!" Judy whispered, pushing his paws away. She sat up sharply, glaring at the black bunny lying beside her. All around them, other bunnies were sleeping soundly, completely ignoring their exchange. With the various snores, many likely would not have heard her at all, even if they were awake. "Why would you do that?"

Midnight stared up at her as though she were insane. "What's the problem? You weren't with someone else, so I just thought we could relax after the day…"

"No. Absolutely not," she told him, getting up. Looking about, she found very little room to move, and realized most of the mammals were in the arms of at least one other, as though either seeking comfort or actively in relationships. Some of those adults had small children sleeping beside them, though not all children were biologically a match for those caring for them. Apparently, even the children were bought, sold, and traded among houses.

Turning in place, Judy soon found Harry across the room, watching her in the dark. As soon as she looked his way, he motioned toward the blanket beside him.

Judy frantically searched for somewhere else to sleep where she would not be accosted, but the longer she stood there, the more mammals sat up and watched her, or tried to draw her attention. Given that she did not know any of them other than Harry, she finally let out a pained sigh and begrudgingly tiptoed around the other mammals to get to him.

"You try anything and they'll never find your body," Judy whispered, lying down beside him. Before she had fully settled, Harry pulled the blankets over them both.

"Do you understand now why Snow wanted me to test you the way I did?" he asked softly near her ear, curling up against her, but carefully keeping his lower half well away from her tail. "You'll have to trust that I have about as much desire to try something as you do."

Judy lay still in the dark a short time, before her confusion got the better of her. "Har…um…Zippy, you knew this could happen. Who thinks that sort of behavior is okay?"

"Slaves," he replied, sounding as though he were barely awake. "They live hard lives and are more than ready to accept any upside they can find. The idea that someone else might not want that rarely occurs to them. Relationships are momentary, because you can be sold at any time. He meant no harm, but would never even consider that he's forcing you to do anything. A moment of pleasure isn't always easy to come by."

Shivering nervously, Judy buried her face in the blanket. She turned her head slightly after a moment to whisper, "Thank you. I've hated you for what you tried to do, but I think I understand now."

"I wouldn't have done it," he quickly answered. "Never. I'm not even sure what I would've done if you hadn't fought back. Probably panicked and wet myself. Life here was very different, but after living in the city, I doubt I could ever convince myself to go back to treating others the way I would have here."

"Why are we still here?" she asked next, realizing she had expected to be woken when they left, long before dark.

"Not sure," he told her. "Nick and Snow did not come for us. Something changed, but I haven't heard of anything bad happening. We need to trust they'll get us out as soon as they can."

Judy settled into their bedding, and soon realized that another bunny had moved over to take her previous spot beside Midnight. It did not take any strain of her hearing to pick up the activity going on under their blankets a minute later. Even in the burrow's confines, it had never been quite so obvious when her siblings were being amorous with visitors.

 _Very different way of life_ , she thought, pulling both the blanket and Harry's arm a little tighter over her. _I'll be so very happy when we can get out of here. Soon._


	6. Chapter 6

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.1 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

Nick woke gradually as a beam of sunlight slowly crept across his ears toward his closed eyes. He was aware enough to know it was coming, but he tried desperately to sleep longer, especially as his stomach grumbled, reminding him how little he had managed to eat after finding out what was being served. Nausea at the thought of ever hurting Judy or her family made him quickly put the memories of dinner out of his mind.

At last, the sunlight reached his eyelids, and Nick eased his head forward to buy himself another few minutes of shade. Doing so put his muzzle squarely between Skye's ears, which made him feel nearly as uncomfortable as the meal had. Memories of the night before rushed in to fill his mind, ensuring he would not get back to sleep anytime soon.

" _You're shaking, Nick," she had told him, following him into the room after they finished apologizing to Katrina. "Talk to me. What's got you this antsy?"_

" _You've got to be kidding me," he snapped, as she closed the door. Sniffing, he had made sure there were no servants nearby. "They just served us bunny. I'm going to wonder for the rest of my life if this is how things would have ended between Judy and I if we were less careful with Bellwether last year. I ate some of that meat. I feel sick. She watched me eat it. It's like I killed one of her family members. I'll never get that taste out of my mouth now."_

 _Coming across the small room, Skye put one paw on his chest, as though to calm him. "You did what came naturally, which is what we need here. You did nothing wrong. Trust me, I understand how you feel. My family actually served meals like that when I was a kit. Every time I look at Harry, I remember eating his friends while he watched, and regret every second of it. It isn't easy, but we are more than what we eat or have eaten. We're more than what we've done, or I would have no hope left."_

 _Growling, Nick pulled off the light jacket he had worn to dinner, throwing it against the wardrobe. "I will remember, even if she lets it go. We need to leave right now. Pack them up, and go."_

 _Skye nodded slightly, then took her paw off him. "As you wish. I'll go talk with the house matron right now, and see if we can leave before it gets any later. Foxes are active at all hours of the night, so I doubt Katrina will see too much problem with it."_

 _Skye went back out into the hall, leaving Nick alone._

The memory drifted as Nick moved his tongue, tasting the rabbit meat still lingering. Instinctual desire to eat contrasted sharply with a wish to cradle Judy in his arms and assure her he never would have considered hurting her. The more he thought on it, the closer he came to tears, as he had while waiting for Skye.

" _Nick, we have a problem," Skye announced as she came back into the room, less than five minutes later. She closed the door and came over to sit beside him on the small bed. "Soldiers are out and looking for someone. Katrina already suspects it's us, and asked me to keep you in until morning. If we slip out now, I think she'll call the soldiers on us."_

 _Groaning, Nick grabbed one of the pillows and wrapped it over his face. After several seconds of grumbling into it, he tossed the pillow aside. "Fine. One night won't kill us. First light, I want us out of here."_

" _After breakfast," Skye told him, getting the best death-glare he could manage. "Not my idea, Nick. Politeness is a big deal down here. She'll take it personally if we leave without a home-cooked meal. We can have everything ready to go, but we aren't walking out that door until after we eat something. Now that she knows we aren't big on meat, this should not be a problem."_

" _This is starting to sound more like we're captives than guests," he muttered, staring up at the ceiling. "We'll have been missing a full day. A full day of chasing a certain someone down, completely lost."_

" _Not completely," she replied, getting up off the bed. Removing the shawl she had worn to dinner, she placed it on the same shelf in the wardrobe where she had found it, before eyeing herself in the mirror. "Rolen is in town, and Katrina knows where he's staying. I passed us off as fanatical worshipers, so she let me know he's supposed to make a big speech in the next day or two. He's going nowhere for at least two days, and rumor is he's planning to stay here for a week or two."_

" _Finally, some good news," Nick said, smiling at the ceiling, as he tried not to watch Skye removing her outfit. In the back of his mind, he wondered what Judy would have looked like in the short summer dress, but that was not a topic to bring up to others._

 _The sound of the dress hitting the floor forced Nick to keep his eyes entirely fixed on the ceiling._

" _Now for the bad news," she went on, and Nick heard the wardrobe close. "We'll be woken up by servants early. I'll probably already be awake, but there are certain expectations of what they will find when they barge in."_

 _Nick cocked his head, still watching the ceiling. "Meaning what? Oh…wait…I get it. You're telling me I can't sleep on the floor?"_

" _Correct." Skye moved over to the side of the bed, reaching over to grab a pawful of Nick's shirt to pull him upright. As soon as he looked at her, he realized she was wearing only a slip, and slammed his eyes shut before he could stare at the way it traced her figure. "That's what I thought would be your reaction. Most adult mammals—especially well-off ones—certainly don't sleep on the floor. I might be able to get away with it, but since I'm passing as your mate, we need to both be in this bed, and both comfortable with it when servants come to fetch us."_

" _Nope. Not happening." Nick tried to grab at Skye's wrists, to push her away, but she held him firmly. "Could you put on a few more layers, please? Maybe a winter coat?"_

" _I'm not asking you to do anything more than sleep, you big baby," she told him, fighting with his paws to unbutton his shirt. "Would it make you feel better if I swore I would kill you if anything got carried away?"_

 _As Skye undid the last few buttons of his shirt, Nick stopped fighting and opened one eye—keeping his gaze as high as he could without looking over her. "Yes, it kind of would. I'm not used to doing the right thing in life. I really am trying and you're…well…"_

" _I'm a temptation you don't want," she finished, smiling. Tossing his shirt alongside the vest, she put her paws on her hips and shook her head slowly. "That was part of why I played the role I did when we met. I wanted to ensure you had no feelings toward me, no matter what happened later. I'll let you deal with the pants, if you don't mind."_

 _Grumbling softly, Nick set to undressing down to his boxers, as Skye slid under the covers. He was thankful for all of about ten seconds, until he realized he was going to have to be under there with her._

Nick looked down under the askew sheets, to where he lay pressed against Skye's back and tail. In the small bed, there had been little choice, but he still hated the idea of being so close with anyone but Judy. He had not done anything wrong, but the guilt was just as real. Thankfully, the subconscious desire to do something had faded during the night, after much soul-searching—most of which would have seriously disappointed Finnick. It was still a bit of mental gymnastics to keep every part of himself obedient, but he no longer felt as though it was a losing battle.

Without the nagging desire to take note of Skye's figure, Nick found himself more interested in mundane things he could see in the daylight. All down the portion of her back where the slip did not cover, he could see faint scars in her fur. An obvious scar from a bullet marred her left shoulder, not terribly unlike the one on his lower side. Being a ZBI agent was apparently even more dangerous than being an officer, though he did wonder how many of the scars came before her current job.

A sharp rap at the door drew Nick's attention there, followed by the clearing of a small throat. Before he could reply, the door opened, and Harry walked in. He made a show of keeping his head down, but he froze as he got inside the room, eyes going wide as he looked up at Nick. Averting his eyes quickly, he turned partway toward the window.

Wondering at the reaction, Nick looked down and realized that with the sheets lying how they were, Harry likely thought the two of them were naked, or worse.

"Mistress Katrina will be serving breakfast in thirty minutes," Harry announced, his voice sounding strained. As soon as he spoke, Skye jerked awake, looking around in confusion, only to stare after Harry as he closed the door behind him.

"That wasn't awkward at all," Nick groused, letting his head flop back to the pillow. Deep down, he really truly wanted to untangle himself from Skye before his body got any other ideas, but that meant leaving the comfortable bed. Instead, he worked to ignore her tail as it brushed against his thighs. "You awake?"

Skye nodded and took a deep breath. "I am now. I've got to say, this is a series of firsts."

"Meaning what?"

Rolling over, Skye looked up at Nick with more than a little surprise in her expression. "Well, let's start with you not trying anything."

"Did you forget your threat to murder me? Now think what Fluff would do to me. I'd take the murder over that, any day." Skye smiled and gave Nick a remarkably gentle kiss on the side of his muzzle. "What's that for?"

"I make a lot of threats," she explained, as she sat up. "I expect most to be ignored. Too many years a servant in these lands. I can say with certainty, you are the first fox—or any other canine, for that matter—not to at least attempt to force himself on me in a setting like this. I didn't expect you would do anything awful, but I thought… Let's just stick with this being a pleasant surprise."

"You had more items on your list?"

"I do." Skye stretched her arms over her head, crackling several of her joints. "Getting more than an hour of sleep almost never happens, and certainly never does, unless..."

"Unless what?"

Skye looked back to the closed door and sighed. "Most of Harry's scars are from trying to protect me and one of my brothers. When he's close, I usually can sleep."

Nick sat up, keeping the blankets over his lower half. "I know I joked before, but are you and he… You know?"

"No," Skye answered quickly, smiling. "That's your gimmick, and I have no intention of intruding. He is protective of me, and I of him. It's something different than what you have, but it's enough for me. Probably about all I could tolerate. That leads to the other surprise, though this is not a good one. Harry sounded upset. If I had to guess, he's assuming you and I were not on our best behavior, and worries you hurt me. It'll be a long and uncomfortable chat, which will need to wait until we leave the city. You might get another chance at fighting him, if he's really upset."

Nick looked back at the door, surprised to find himself on this side of a misunderstanding for once. "He loves you. It might not be what Judy and I have, but it's still some kind of love. You think he's jealous of us?"

"Not exactly," she answered, sitting on the side of the bed and leaning against Nick. "When my brother was taken and likely killed, Harry took his place. He tried hard—sometimes far too hard—to keep me safe. I left him behind when a ZBI agent helped me get out of the region, and had to come back for him later. He doesn't blame me, but I'm still making it up to him, and might be the rest of my life."

"He's your brother," Nick reasoned, thinking fondly on Finnick. "Not by blood, but by choice."

Skye shrugged as she smiled, pulling a handful of clothing from the nearby nightstand into her lap. "Something like that. The fact that I fell asleep in your arms speaks volumes about you as well. It means I'm starting to trust you. Given how infrequently that happens, count it as a victory. He might not consider us sleeping together to be worthy of his jealousy, but me actually trusting you certainly might."

"At least I don't have to worry about anything more than confusion. It's not like anything would actually happen."

Skye set aside the clothing she held and studied Nick briefly. "My duty is to the people of your home city, not modesty. If the mission required it, I can all but guarantee you would be mine."

"Not hardly," Nick teased, though he did not catch the same level of banter in Skye's tone. "Sorry, I'm a one rabbit fox."

Glaring, Skye turned on the bedside to face him. "Are we really arguing about this? I saw how you struggled when I first undressed. I don't intend to steal you away, but I could."

"This isn't a competition, Snow."

"I beg to differ," she snapped, standing up and coming around to his side of the bed. Letting her slip fall to the floor, she said, "Tell me this wouldn't get your attention. If you knew she would not find out or she was gone, consider for a moment how easily I could convince you."

Nick closed his eyes and struggled to keep calm. Once he was certain he was not going to panic, he opened his eyes again, realizing he actually did not even have the desire to pull Skye to him. All he could think about was the sadness or disappointment he might see in Judy's eyes if and when she found out. Instead, he felt a deep sadness for Skye, if she felt the need to try and coax others just to suit her pride.

"Are you done yet?" he asked, giving her his best bored expression. "We really should get dressed."

Grumbling, Skye picked up her slip and covered herself sheepishly, her ears sinking low. "Yes. I'm done now. Apparently, I've gotten really bad at this. You have more willpower than I expected, or I've lost my knack."

A faint clearing of a throat drew Nick's attention to the door. Standing in the doorway were the household's black bunny and Judy. Before Nick could say anything, Judy hurried from the room, though the other bunny did not so much as blink.

"I am so sorry, Nick," Skye whispered, while the black bunny set to pulling clothing from the wardrobes for them. Once he finished, he left the room and closed the door. "That was entirely my fault. I'll explain—"

"No, this one's my problem," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to assume she walked in at exactly the worst time, with you showing off for me. Being faithful is really hard when you're constantly dead or giving the wrong impression."

Skye whimpered and collapsed where she was, burying her face in her paws. "Now I've got both of them thinking the worst. At least Katrina will absolutely believe us now."

"I'll talk to them both," Nick assured Skye, patting her shoulder reassuringly. It then dawned on him that there was nothing remotely sexual left between them, despite Skye holding her clothing rather than wearing it. This was a first for him, and something he was probably going to have to talk to a psychiatrist about someday, likely right after relationship counseling with Judy. "Let's get moving. The sooner we're out of here, the sooner I can get sucker-punched by a bunny for what she just saw."

Skye stood, keeping the slip over herself. "Thank you again, Nick. You don't know how much this all means to me, even if it was a bit of a hit to my ego."

A loud banging at a distant door sent Nick's ears straight up, and both he and Skye turned to stare at the wall in that direction. Vaguely, he could hear the front door of the house open, followed by some shouting which was too faint to make out. As the arguing continued, paws pounded on the steps.

Nick scrambled to his paws, as Skye pulled on her slip, and began grabbing at pieces of clothing. A second later, the black bunny burst into the room, panting.

"Grab your clothes and anything you brought with you!" he gasped, closing and locking the door behind him. Running past them to the eastern wall of the room, the bunny began feeling around the edges of one of the mirrors. "You need to follow me. There are soldiers looking for you. Muffin will clean up the room once we're out."

Skye and Nick exchanged worried glances, then dove for their clothes and backpacks. Once Nick was certain he had everything he came with and had pants on, he turned to ask the bunny what they should do next, only to find a large open doorway in the wall, with the bunny almost invisible in the darkness beyond.

"Hurry!" he hissed at them. "They're searching the house again!"

Skye ran ahead while pulling on a shirt, getting into the narrow hallway with the bunny, and Nick squeezed in behind her, barely getting his tail inside before the bunny pulled the secret door closed. The darkness was enveloping, coupled with a dank chill that seemed out of place almost anywhere in Ursian lands.

For several seconds, Nick blinked in the dark, trying to get his eyes to adjust. Once he could see again, he found they stood in a narrow passage which appeared to go between the bedrooms, with a ladder down at one end. It was toward this the bunny was inching, his paws held out in front of him to find the rungs in the dark.

"We can see," Nick assured the bunny, grabbing his paws and pulling him back before he stepped off the edge of the drop-off. "Stay close. Ladder is about one full step away, but it's a dangerous step."

The bunny nodded, his eyes wide as he appeared to try and focus on Nick. "Lead the way. If they find and execute me, it's not a problem. The mistress won't have predators executed while under her protection."

Nick grumbled and rolled his eyes. Reaching down, Nick picked the bunny up and shifted him onto Skye's back when she beckoned. "No one's getting executed. Hang on. We'll do the running, but be ready to give directions if we get lost."

The bunny clung to Skye tightly as Nick began down the ladder, with Skye right above him, nearly bringing her paws down on his nose in their hurry. At the bottom, he found they were in an intersection of similar halls, leaving him no clear direction to go.

"Pull down the ladder," the bunny told them, motioning vaguely overhead. "The trap door is spring-loaded and will close. If they find their way from the bedroom, they will have a hard time tracking us."

Nick did as he was told, while Skye moved out of the way. Sure enough, as soon as he lay the ladder on the ground, he heard a faint click above him when the door closed.

"Take your time here," the rabbit explained, climbing down off Skye's shoulders. The way he stared let Nick know he could not see well, but was finally adjusting. "You can get dressed. These parts of the house are soundproofed and sprayed with scent neutralizer daily. We have time before we need to move again."

Nick exchanged glances with Skye, and she then set to pulling on the fresh clothing they had brought. Once she was fully dressed, she threw the second set of clothes to Nick and he did the same, while she watched over him.

"If you need to ask for me, I'm Midnight," the black bunny said, once they were ready, and their sheets were piled in a corner. "Any of the servants will come find me. From here, we need to head south toward the kitchen. Stop when you feel a breeze overhead, which is our only fresh air down here. There should be another door under your paws then."

Nick stayed where he was a little longer, tugging at and adjusting the vest he wore. It felt overly tight and confining, especially without any form of undershirt. When he started to unbutton it to loosen the fit, Midnight swatted at his paws and refastened the buttons.

"It's meant to be snug," the bunny told him firmly, smoothing the fabric. "Loose clothing is for servants, who don't get fitted garments. I spent much of last night tailoring these from estimations. They're looser than I would like, but they will do. They're meant to flatten the fur and show off your physique, and I've yet to meet a fox who doesn't want that. If I'd had more time, I'd have taken in the groin a bit to accentuate there, too."

Scowling, Nick stepped away from Midnight as soon as he could without being rude. Turning in place, he tried to get some sense of direction, but before he had, Skye walked past him, having either guessed or from a better sense of how she faced. He followed her, with Midnight at his heels.

"I can feel the wooden door under my pads right now," Skye announced, coming to a stop. Lifting her muzzle, she sniffed the air. "There's your fresh air. You certain this will be safer for us than the house, bunny?"

Midnight pushed past Nick, waving Skye aside until he could get at the trap door, which he yanked open. "I've been doing this for almost twenty years, under more than one master. I should be certain by now. You two will be safe down there."

"Two?" Nick asked, as Skye climbed down another ladder and disappeared from sight. "Where are Zippy and Fluff?"

"Zippy is down there, despite our suggestion he remain with the other servants," Midnight replied, motioning toward the ladder. "Once you are safe, I will find Fluff. She was strangely upset at finding you in a state of undress earlier, and wanted to be alone. We got cut off when the soldiers came."

"Get her to us," Nick said, more forcefully than he had intended. "If she's not here soon, I'll come looking for her, even if that gives us away. Right now, she's my first and only priority."

Midnight's eyes narrowed, and he smiled faintly. "Now I understand a few things. You run a strange household, Master Nick. What you do with your servants isn't my concern. I'll get her here if I can, but your safety is the mistress's wish."

Nick grumbled a few seconds longer, but knew no matter how he objected, it would not get Judy there any faster. More importantly, every selfish whine he made would only make things more difficult to explain once Midnight reported back to Katrina. Resigning himself to hiding while Judy was in danger, he finally gave in and climbed down the ladder. He got halfway before the bunny closed the hatch overhead, cutting off most of the little light from the hallways, making even Nick blind.

"Is everyone inside?" asked a voice Nick did not recognize as his hind paws reached a dirt floor. "Door closed?"

"Yeah," Nick told them, stepping fully onto the ground as he stared up at the top of the ladder—which he could not see. Scents of various mammals muddled together, making identification all but impossible. "The bunny's gone."

The sound of a match being struck on something gave Nick barely enough warning to close his eyes before the room lit up. Blinking, he was surprised by the size of the place, measuring far wider and longer than the one match could reveal. Even when a lantern was lit, two of the four walls were well out of sight. The inhabitants of the room were very visible, though.

A short distance from the ladder, a small group consisting of three otters, a ferret, a fossa, and a serval were huddled around the lantern, eyeing Skye and Nick with obvious nervousness. Not far off from the main group, Harry sat by himself, watching Skye.

"Who are you two?" demanded the female fossa, baring her fangs. "Show me your marks. Now!"

Skye was faster than Nick at reacting, holding out both arms. The vest she wore—a near match for what Nick had on, though far simpler, with no sewn embellishments—made showing her scars easy. The fossa leaned close, squinting at the markings briefly, before turning her large eyes on Nick.

Stepping closer, Nick held out his own arms. Unlike Skye's, his got far more scrutiny before the larger fossa backed off.

"Low-born, but still free," she muttered over her shoulder at the others. "The white one's a servant. This one probably stole her and got the soldiers on our trail."

"Not true," Nick insisted, trying to be heard over the annoyed muttering of the others. "She's my servant and mate, and the bunny in the corner is hers. What's going on?"

The largest of the otters huffed angrily. "Two foxes show up, and so do the soldiers. At least we're criminals by dumb luck. You probably earned it."

"Don't be speciesist, Phil," snapped the other adult otter, glowering at him. "They're foxes. Get over it. They needed Katrina's help as much as we did, or they wouldn't be here."

Nick looked over at Skye, but she appeared not to even notice. She was studying the other predators intently.

"If we get caught and it's their fault, I hope I have time to tell you I was right!" the male otter groused. "Foxes always lie."

The female otter sighed, then all but ignored Phil. "I'm sorry about him. It was a local fox who turned us in, so he's holding a grudge. I'm sure you're both fine upstanding foxes. Please let me apologize for how your bunny was treated. I'm afraid we don't see much prey down here. Cyndi thought he was a spy."

Skye turned and looked at Harry, who pointedly looked away. Even in the low light, Nick could see swelling on one of his cheeks from being slapped or punched.

"What is this?" Skye asked, as she sat down beside Harry. She had to physically grab his muzzle to keep him from trying to avoid her. "Not just what you did to my bunny, but also…all of you."

Hissing in annoyance, the serval stayed at the edge of the light. "Small predators, same as you. All free mammals at one time. With Rolen back, the soldiers are cracking down on 'misidentified' free animals. We're headed for collars, or new markings."

Nick stared at the haggard mammals, then back up at the hidden door overhead. "She took us in because we're fugitives. Katrina is smuggling mammals out of the area."

"That's the hope," replied the fossa, Cyndi. "We've been down here two days. She told us the soldiers were on alert, then Rolen's back in town. We're probably stuck down here for weeks now. Even before we came to her, there were whispers that the warlord would begin executing his enemies, once he had control of his throne again. Since he's really back…"

The room went eerily silent.

"We aren't planning on dying down here, if that's what you're thinking," Skye insisted, letting go of the still-stubborn Harry. "My master always has a plan. We just need to wait out the soldiers. No one's getting left behind."

Phil snorted and shook his head. "I've been hearing that my whole life. Doubt anyone's ever really made it out of town. No one ever comes back, so I think all this talk about Zootopia is garbage."

Skye looked to Nick, giving him a sad stare.

"I've heard the stories, too," Nick lied, sitting down on the ground near the others. All eyes turned to him, as he had hoped. All it took was a good tale and everyone was willing to forget they were ready to maul him seconds earlier. "Great big city, where all mammals can live in harmony. Sounds like a lie to me." Skye's expression went sharply to horrified. "What I _do_ know is that the world is a lot bigger than this city, or even the Ursian lands. I've seen that. If you don't believe in Zootopia, then believe there are places where Rolen doesn't have soldiers. Believe there are places where we can be happy without someone putting a collar on us. You don't need to call it Zootopia. Just call it freedom…or home."

The last of the tension in the room faded quickly, and even Phil looked ashamed at his earlier outburst. Nick did not even have to look directly at Skye to see the warm smile she offered him, as she fussed with Harry's cheek again.

"We need our other servant, or we're not going anywhere," Skye said, once the others had relaxed. "Has anyone see our other bunny?"

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.2 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Judy screamed at herself, marching back through the house, barely even aware of where she was. _You knew damned well she and Nick were going to be playing this to the limits of what you might tolerate. Just because you didn't want to believe they would…that she… Argh! I don't even think they did anything, but seeing her like that and him staring… How am I supposed to compete? Next, he's probably going to be asking to share. I just can't… I won't…_

Judy slowed her pace, trying to figure out if she had passed the hall to the kitchen yet. Nose twitching as she looked around, she could not decide if she was one room too early or not. Before she could make up her mind, her ears shot up as she picked up the sound of paws approaching on the wood floors. Looking around frantically, she dove into a nearby closet, pulling the door nearly closed behind her.

 _If you screw this up just because your boyfriend was under the sheets in the same room as that—deep breaths, Judy—as Skye, you don't deserve to get your badge back when you go home. We're on a mission. Mission first, heart-to-heart discussions with Nick later. Get your priorities straight! If it's that bad, just break up with him. Not complicated at all. Stay sane._

From the narrow gap in the closet door, Judy watched as a pair of large rats walked past. She started to open the door once they were gone, only to have them back up and stare right at her hiding spot. When she heard one of the rats sniffing, she realized how they had found her out. She backed away from the door, hoping they might decide to move along, but the lead rat moved closer, stretching to try and reach the door handle which Judy could barely reach without jumping.

Somewhere nearby, a loud banging drew the attention of both rats. They ran away from the closet door, heading toward another door Judy could see—the home's front door, she realized. Now she at least knew where she was.

The rats stopped at the door, one peeking through a low peephole. Even from across the hall, Judy could hear the rat sigh.

"Can we help you?" the rat called out, while the other gingerly turned the deadbolt knob to lock the door. "The household's owner is currently indisposed."

A bellowing and deep female voice replied from the other side. "Major Madeline Ursa. We are searching all homes after reports of mammals being smuggled illegally. Open the door, or I will open it for you."

The rats whispered frantically, and even Judy could not quite hear them. After a few seconds, the one who had spoken before raised his muzzle and replied again. "We will be happy to assist any way we can, but by law we cannot open this door without our mistress present. I will wait here, and my partner will fetch her immediately. May we have five minutes?"

"You may have three," came the reply through the door.

 _The soldiers don't know for sure there's something wrong here, or they wouldn't give them any time_ , Judy assured herself, relaxing slightly. _Stay very still until they're gone, and you can talk your way out of any trouble…or Nick can._

Judy eased the door of the closet nearly shut, then backed into the corner. Looking around in the near-dark, she found several large coats overhead, all of which smelled of Katrina.

Outside the closet, quick and heavy pawsteps came down the hall, racing to the front door. The locks of the door were loudly unlocked, and Judy heard someone open the door.

"Major, I am so sorry for making you wait," Katrina said, sounding as though she was out of breath. "My servants told me you were here. I was busy setting up breakfast. How can I assist you?"

Judy heard Katrina gasp and a second set of paws marched into the front hall.

"You will stand aside and allow me to search your home," the bear explained, as several lighter sets of paws came into the house. Wolves, judging by the sound. "We will be gone in a few minutes. All the larger homes are being searched. Merely a precaution, you must understand. We can't have rumors of mammal smuggling the day the warlord returns to us."

"He has returned?" asked Katrina, a hint of relief in her voice. "By the bear, that is good news. I thought it just market gossip."

The soldiers scattered, and Judy heard several go upstairs, while others went toward the back halls. At least two remained with the bear and Katrina.

"Go through the place room by room," ordered Major Ursa, standing somewhere near the closet where Judy was hiding. "Two foxes and a lion. Find them if they are here."

Katrina's annoyed "hrumph" was audible even through the muffling of the closet door. "I had three foxes visit last week, so your soldiers will find fox scent in my home. Feel free to look around, though. They've been gone five days."

The wolves moved around in the hall, and Judy heard them begin rifling through an umbrella rack near the closet door itself.

Looking back up, Judy grabbed the bottom of one of Katrina's coats, pulling herself up into it. Going slowly to keep from making too much noise, she climbed all the way to the hanger, where she settled along the shoulders of the coat, hoping she would be almost invisible.

The door to the closet swung open sharply, banging in the hallway. Snuffling of large noses below her made Judy want to run, but she kept still, clinging to the hanger.

"Smell a bunny in here," one of the wolves announced.

"Are your wolves daft?" Katrina asked immediately. "I have a dozen bunnies serving this household. Of course they smell a bunny. It's probably Midnight, Muffin, or Fluff. They were cleaning up around the house this morning."

"You're licensed for all of them?" the bear asked.

"Yes. They are all registered, collared, and have their shots. Feel free to run the markings of any of my servants. You know my household, Major. We haven't been among the city's ranking families for generations by being sloppy with paperwork. We've been held in high esteem since before the Ursians took over, and will be after they're gone. I'm licensed for thirty servants."

Faint grumbles from the bear preceded the wolves leaving the closet and closing it behind them.

 _She just vouched for me_ , Judy realized, trying to ignore her trembling arms as she hung within the coat. _Why would she do that? There's no way my markings are tracing back to her. What's going on here? Thirty mammals? I only saw about twenty servants._

"Madam Groewl, we both know this isn't personal," Ursa insisted, but Judy heard something that sounded like Katrina actually pushing the major.

"You keep telling yourself that, Madeline," Katrina growled right back. "I've known you since you were nearly as small as my bunnies, and half as smart. If I ask my neighbors, how many were searched?"

"Watch your tone, Katrina."

"No, you will watch yours in my home," said Katrina. "The laws may allow you considerable leeway, especially when you make up claims of dangerous foxes—of all things, foxes? Really? However, at the end of the day, money will always have more pull than your rank, unless I break the law or cross our warlord. I have done neither. Finish your search, then get out. I grew tired of your accusations years ago. You push your luck and I will have your superiors notified."

The rumble of several sets of paws running down the stairs came to a stop near the front door.

"No one upstairs, other than an idiot brown bunny," explained one of the soldiers. "Tidying up one of the bedrooms. I smelled foxes, but it was faint. Either been gone a while, or someone went through and worked hard to neutralize scents."

"Where are they, Katrina?" the bear demanded.

Judy struggled to hang on, but the coat hanger was hardly designed for a full-sized bunny to dangle from for extended periods of time. Her arms and hind paws were trembling badly, and her fingers had started to go numb.

"I already told you. They left last week. It's not like I have foxes here every day. We've had this discussion a hundred times. Travelers come and go. I offer hospitality, just like my mate did, just like my parents did, just like their parents did. If a mammal shows up who is on your watch list and I've seen the posters, I report them. You might be able to intimidate other mammals, but I will not be one of them. If you believe I am lying, arrest me. Let's see which of us is outside a cell by sundown."

The hall remained quiet for what felt like an eternity, while Judy wondered if the wolves would hear the shaking of the hanger through the closet door. Eventually, Major Ursa let out a slow sigh.

"Get moving," she ordered her wolves. "We have a lot of houses to check. This one's clean…this time."

"And will be the next hundred times you search it," Katrina added, somewhat snidely. "See you next week?"

The front door of the house slammed shut, and Judy finally was able to relax slightly, though she continued to hang where she was. With luck, Katrina would walk away…

A loud click signaled the closet door opening.

"I can't see you, but I can hear and smell you, child," Katrina said firmly. "Come out. I won't hurt you or turn you in, no matter what it is your master got you into. This house is one of the few safe places in the city right now."

Judy held still a few seconds longer, but Katrina did not budge. It was no bluff. Knowing this could be the end of her mission, but having no choices left, she crawled out from under the coat. Turning herself so she was upright again, she slid down the long jacket, and dropped lightly to her paws. She quickly lowered her eyes, trying to look remorseful—and immediately realized she was mirroring Nick's "please don't yell at me" act.

"Are you alone here?" asked Katrina, taking a knee in front of Judy. "Are Nick or Snow with you, or did they hide?"

Judy shook her head. "I don't know, mistress. They were in their room."

"Midnight must have gotten them to safety, or we would both be in front of a firing squad already. Care to explain what a bunny was doing hanging in my closet?"

"There was a…dispute…with my master," she offered, though if Katrina asked Nick, this was not going to go well for Judy, as the fight was entirely in her own mind. "I was going back to the servants' wing, but heard the door. Not wanting to be caught alone—"

Katrina laughed. "You lie well to protect your master. I know those soldiers were here for him, so let's do away with the stories. Nick was allowed into my home precisely because I knew he was in trouble, and on a favor for an old friend. You are going to tell me what I've gotten myself into, or I'll have Midnight call up my favorite butcher."

Judy began hyperventilating, and looking around frantically. With Katrina filling the doorway, she had nowhere to go. She needed something believable that was not going to destroy their mission, and she needed it right away.

"Nick and I are sleeping together," she blurted out, tugging on her ears. He had always said truth could be used to hide a great many lies. Hopefully this was one time it might work to her benefit. "Snow and I don't get along very well, and I didn't want to deal with her this morning, since she was taking my place in his bed. I don't know why the soldiers were here, but that's why I was hiding."

Katrina studied her a while, then folded her legs under herself and sat down. Offering both arms, she said, "Child, come here. I may not understand the simplicity of the things that go through prey's minds, but this isn't too hard to grasp. I'm sorry you are stuck in the middle of that." Judy hesitantly moved toward Katrina, only to be pulled into a suffocating hug. The tigress gently pet Judy's head and back, as though she were a kit. "We will talk to him together. When all is done, you can stay here if things are too rough. He can take another servant. No one—not even a servant—should have to put up with being involved in all of that. Him pitting the feelings of two servants against each other only makes it worse. The idea of a predator touching his prey that way…disgusting. He should be ashamed of himself. Has he hurt you?"

"No, ma'am." Judy found she did not need to say anything more. She accepted the hug, even if Katrina was entirely demeaning in everything that came out of her mouth when it came to prey. In this, Katrina was close enough to touching on Judy's natural worries that she would put up with it.

"Let's go find them," Katrina said, once she had hugged Judy long enough for it to start getting awkward. The petting only made it worse. "I have much to admit to myself, and using this against your master will allow me to save what little pride I have left. Always best to admit your faults when the other person is equally wrong about something, my husband used to say."

Katrina started to lower Judy to the floor, but then stopped and instead stood up still carrying her. Patting her back—and her rump, as though subconsciously trying to burp Judy—Katrina made her way through the house, past the kitchen, and then down a narrow flight of stairs hidden near a supply room. When she reached the bottom, she moved a stack of empty boxes and pulled a section of wall open. Taking Judy with her into the dark hall beyond, she closed the door behind them.

"This is our little secret around here," Katrina explained as she walked. "The Ursius lords of the lands have never been kind to prey like yourself, and they are just as bad to many predators they believe are beneath them. My husband used to smuggle abused servants of either type out of the area with these tunnels, but lately most of my guests are predators. These are tough times, Fluff. I hope someday I can bury these tunnels forever, but the older I get, the less I believe I'll live to see it."

They soon came out into a large room with several lanterns hanging within it. As Katrina walked into the room, several predators including Nick and Skye stood up to greet her.

Peeking over her shoulder, Judy saw the confused—and somewhat amused—look Nick gave her, but thankfully he did not ask why she was being treated like a child.

"Hello, everyone," Katrina offered, giving polite smiles and nods to each of the predators, though she entirely ignored Harry, seated in a corner of the room. "I assume you've had time to talk to our latest guests, Nick and Snow. While the commotion today was their fault, I want to remind everyone that you are all wanted criminals. If you take out any anger on the foxes, I stand by my policy to deliver you to the authorities. Your protection is absolute, so long as you protect each other."

A faint grumbling passed through the family of otters to one side of the room.

"Now," Katrina went on, seemingly ignoring the complaints, "I have some good news. The soldiers will not be back until at least tomorrow. In a few hours, Rolen Ursius is supposed to be reclaiming his throne, and has some form of announcement. The expectation is that he will call for war against the lands north of us." Judy froze, thankful Katrina could not see her face. "Any of you who wish some fresh air, this is your chance. If you wish to leave my home, do so tonight. Until tomorrow, the army will be concentrating their efforts on protecting the warlord, not finding runaway servants. You can even go to the coronation this afternoon, if you wish, though I do recommend keeping some distance."

Katrina suddenly lowered Judy to the floor, turning her around to face Nick. She then firmly pushed Judy toward him, nearly sending her tumbling forward.

Twisting to look up at Katrina, Judy asked, "What?"

"You need to talk to him. I will protect you."

"Here? Now?"

"No, it doesn't have to be right here," the tigress said softly, though Judy could feel many sets of eyes staring at her. "The tunnel we came through offers some privacy. If you want, the more intimate details can wait. Go for a walk later with him. Resolve your problems. If you cannot, only one of you should come back."

Wincing and biting her lower lip, Judy walked slowly across the room toward Nick, who was nervously looking between her and Katrina. When she did reach him, she glanced over at Skye and gave her a very tiny head shake. Regardless of whether Skye understood, she at least relaxed ever so slightly, and sat back down alongside Harry, whose face looked somewhat swollen for some reason.

"Nick," Judy whispered, motioning toward the dark halls. "Mistress Katrina has several things she wants me to go over with you. Will you walk with me a moment?"

Though clearly reluctant due to not knowing what was happening, Nick nodded and took her paw in his. "Lead on, Fluff."

Judy pulled Nick through the room, trying not to look any of the predators in the eyes. They were definitely watching her intently, unsure what she was up to, or why she needed to talk to her master in private.

They soon reached the halls leading back to the store room, and the light faded rapidly behind them. Judy kept going until she was all but blind, but with one paw held out, she was able to feel her way around two sharp curves in the tunnel, which she hoped would cut down on any chance of someone overhearing. The only mammal back in the room who had large enough ears to eavesdrop was likely Harry, and she was fine with him hearing, even if she would prefer no one did.

"Nick, she's on to us," Judy whispered, once she brought Nick to a halt. "The soldiers were looking for you two and Delgato—the ones they saw on the road. Katrina figured out you're on the run, but doesn't know the details. Someone tipped her off that we needed protection, though she won't say who."

"Why did she tell you to talk to me alone?" he asked, glancing back the way they had come. "What did she find out?"

"Only a little. She caught me leaving your room, and I had to tell her something. She knows you and I have been together. To her, it's a weird servant-master-servant love triangle, and she wants it resolved one way or another right now."

Nick smiled, his teeth shining in the low light a bit more wickedly than he likely wanted them to, especially with her. "That works out nicely. A little fight should convince her we're who we say we are. We'll send Snow and Harry into town to scout—"

Judy steeled herself for what she knew she had to say, given how dangerously close they had come to wrecking the mission earlier. Feelings had to be secondary. The mission was the only way to save lives. Everything else had to wait. "Nick."

"—the coronation of Rolen. After that—"

"Nick, listen to me."

"—we coordinate an ambush for him, while using this house as sort of a base—"

"Nick, we need to break up. Right now."

"—of opera— Wait, what?"

Judy felt nearly as sick as she had when finding out about the meal of bunny meat. "I can't worry about us and what we need to do at the same time. I should have done this before we got here, but seeing you with her this morning… It's not something I can handle right now. This isn't forever. I need to be an officer doing her job, not someone's lover, wondering if they're okay."

Nick stared at her a long time, before blinking slowly, his ears drifting back into a panicked position. "You are breaking up with your master...right?"

"Nick, this isn't an act," she insisted, putting one paw to her stomach, which clenched terribly. "We need to do our jobs. We can sort through the fallout afterward."

"Fluff, you can't be serious," he whispered, dropping to one knee and trying to grab at her paws, which she kept out of reach. "I didn't do anything! You have to know that!"

"I do know it, but it doesn't make it any easier." Judy fidgeted, wishing she had more time or a better location to do this. "I love you, Nick, but we need to save a lot of lives. If that means putting the job before our personal life, I have to make that choice. Until we get home, we're not together. Do what you need to do with Snow or whoever, and feel free to be mad at me, but this is what's right. We need to be job partners, not…well… _partners_. Again, it's just for now."

Nick's mouth moved, but no words came out at first. Then, blinking hard, he said more forcefully, "This is stupid, Judy. I won't accept that we need to break up because we're in danger. If anything, it's a reason to be closer."

"I agree," she said, looking down at the floor. "But we can't be. Not here. I have to push you away, and I can't keep doing that without feeling guilty so long as I know it's fake."

"Judy…"

Turning, Judy walked back into the main room, feeling for all the world as though she had been kicked or beaten. She walked past Katrina, offering her a slight nod to indicate that the matter was resolved. Continuing to the far side of the room, she sat down beside Harry, cringing as Nick came back into the room, his tail dragging.

 _I had to do it_ , she told herself. _It's safer for both of us. He has to see that. He's got to understand. I've known for a while and gotten used to the idea. This is new to him, and he's going to take it badly._

Judy watched as Nick sat down hard near Skye, staring blankly at the floor. The heartbreak was clear, and he appeared to be on the verge of tears. She forced herself to turn away and not watch him any longer, lest she cry, too, or run to him and beg him to forgive her for being a dumb bunny.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.3 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday Afternoon – Central Plaza, Northern Ursian Lands**

"Are we really doing this?" Nick asked, trying to shove his paws into pockets his pants did not have for perhaps the thousandth time in the last hour.

"Standing in a crowd, waiting for an opportunity?" Judy looked up at him, then quickly away, as she had repeatedly all afternoon. She had been actively avoiding meeting his gaze. "Yes. Yes, we are."

"You know that's not what I mean." Nick tried to soften his tone as he spoke, but it was not easy. He was hurting and angry, but not at her. He had to believe this was all somehow his fault. "What we talked about back at the estate. This doesn't seem like you at all."

"It's done," she answered. "I don't want to talk about it again until we're home. I know what I did and I know why I did it."

"That's not fair, Fluff."

"Life isn't fair. We need to do our jobs, not prance around like two lovebirds."

Nick scowled down at her. "I don't prance."

"You absolutely prance."

"Never happened. Name one time I've ever pranced."

Judy let out a long slow sigh. "When I came back to the city and apologized to you. Nearly every waking moment our first visit to Bunnyburrow together. The day I agreed to go out with you. After sex, at least when your legs aren't shaky. Should I go on?"

Nick crossed his arms and resumed watching the street. "No, that'll do. I still don't see why you're doing this to us. I though the whole us thing was important to both of us, not just me."

"Because someone had to be a responsible adult, and we both know it wasn't going to be you. There were already enough problems, but now we're putting our lives even _more_ on the line, and I won't pretend you cuddling with Snow doesn't bother me. I'm possessive, and as long as I think of you as my fox, you and Snow can't act naturally. I'm trying to help you, by taking away my excuse for picking fights."

"Problems? What problems? I've been an absolute saint since I met you," he argued, knowing he was probably digging a hole for himself. The words were already out, so no sense in backing off. "Things were perfect until our counterparts showed up."

"No, they were never perfect," Judy answered, sinking into herself slightly, as though trying to shrink away from discussing things with him. "They were good enough to look past the big issues. Someday, they are going to bite us in the tails. I want to see if we can move beyond them, but not now. Not here. We'll do couples therapy or something when we get back. I do want things to work, but there's more at stake here than just you and I."

"Name one issue, other than Snow. Is it Snow? Is Snow why you did this? I'll kill her, if she's the reason…"

Judy looked up at him, absolute sadness in her eyes. "Kits. There, I said it. You know we can't have them, and sooner or later, I wanted to. Not anytime soon with my career, but that's the honest truth. I need to accept that I can't, if we're together. I don't even know how you feel about it. I'm not even sure it's a deal-breaker, but it's on my list."

"So we adopt. This isn't a big deal, Fluff."

"That's a discussion to have when we get back," she insisted yet again, turning her attention back to the plaza. "Let it drop, Nick. I need to be able to concentrate, and not spend my time worried about us."

"You've got me risking my life—something I swore I'd never do—and trying to work to help others—again, something I swore I would never do. Why make this harder than it already is? This feels like you're all but trying to get me to hook up with Snow, or using it as an excuse to leave me."

That seemed to get through to Judy, and she stomped one hind paw hard on the ground. "No, that is very much not what I'm trying to do, but if you have to be with her for the sake of the mission, I'm giving you an out. I'm protecting both of us. I'm taking away your excuse for making mistakes that could cost you your life."

"I don't want an out. I want you. I've made it clear time and again I'm willing to risk my life to make that happen."

Judy's anger faded fast, and she peeked up at him. "I know, Nick, I really do. I don't like this any more than you do, but it's for the best. Let it drop. We'll sort out everything when we're home. Please stop pushing. This is a break, not the end."

Nick prepared himself for another round of arguing, but then saw movement near the large government building at one end of the plaza. Soldiers were beginning to form up around the area, creating a tight ring around the stairs into the building.

"That's our signal," Nick whispered, wishing he had more time to bicker. Already, the mammals in the plaza were gathering up, crowding in front of the soldiers to witness whatever announcement was coming. "Follow close."

They took off, running around the edge of the plaza, with few watching them go. The distraction gave them free movement, until they reached the far corner of the government building, where they had to stop and inch along the main fence to avoid being seen by the wolves and lions manning the place.

"If we climb it, we'll probably get seen," Nick told Judy, as he kept to a shadowed area, watching the soldiers. "Any thoughts?"

A scratching noise made Nick look down, and he found Judy was already halfway under the fence, digging through the loose dirt. Smiling and shaking his head, he stepped over the hole and leaned on the fence, hoping his presence would keep most mammals from noticing the tunnel. It also gave him the chance to watch Judy's backside, which was bittersweet in his current mood.

Okay, your turn," Judy said, panting, as he heard her pop out the far side. "Hurry!"

Nick gave one more check both directions, then dropped into the shallow hole. Sliding paws first though, he came out the far side covered in dirt, but otherwise unscathed. Judy was altogether too good at digging holes, if she could even account for his larger size.

As soon as Nick was back on his paws, Judy took off at a full-run, forcing him to keep up as they raced toward the back end of the government building. They had a quarter-kilometer between the fence and the nearest window, the whole of which they were exposed to discovery—and snipers. Thankfully, the attention of any guards seemed to be on the front of the building, aside from a single patrolling group, which was just coming into view as they flattened against the wall.

"You're up, Slick," Judy whispered, pointing at the window.

Cracking his fingers, Nick then pulled a set of long metal tools from his pant-leg, which he slid into the gap between panes of glass. Moving them around, he found the clasp holding the window shut and locked, then popped it sideways. He quickly pushed the window open, and reached down to let Judy climb him. She leapt up to his shoulder, then jumped again into the room beyond. Once she was gone, he grabbed the windowsill and pulled himself into the room, just as the soldiers passed by outside. When he was certain they were out of sight, he inched the window closed.

"All clear," Judy whispered to him, once the window was shut. She had the vague map Skye had given them in-paw, though she quickly folded it up and slid it back into her vest along her stomach as he turned to face her. "Records are down a flight of stairs down the hall to the right. If Rolen brought the journals here, they'll be in that room, getting entered into the computers. Let's hope he has a long speech, because this is going to take some hunting."

Nick kept quiet and slid past Judy, putting one paw on the door to leave the room. He froze, wondering if someone might be outside, waiting to kill him, but then opened the door anyway. When he found the hall empty, his thoughts drifted back to the first case he and Judy had worked together.

 _I couldn't even open the door_ , he recalled, smiling as he slid into the hallway. _Pushed a little bunny in front of me for protection. Tell me you haven't been good for me, Fluff. I dare you. This has to be stress, and I can't say I blame her. Sooner this is done, the sooner we can cry it out back home. I mean, she can cry it out. Emotional bunny and all that. I don't cry. Foxes don't cry._

Nick kept close to the wall, moving quickly past several closed doors with Judy following behind. They had gone perhaps half the length of the building, when a loudspeaker carried a voice to Nick's ears that he had hoped never to hear again.

"—my mammals, my predators, my family," Rolen was bellowing to the masses, though cheers made his words difficult to pick out. "Three years ago, the generals of my armies rose to defend Ursian lands when my father was murdered by invaders. Today, I come back to take my rightful place. We will see a new day, a new dawn. Our lands will prosper and our enemies will fall before us! Today, I bring back to you what was our birthright so many years ago, stolen from us by prey, before we could bring them back under control. No longer will we live in the shadow of prey from other lands. We will rise, and we will take our places in history! No more will we face food shortages, and steal our technology from those who have it better than us! I have seen our future, and it will be glorious!"

Nick turned to look at Judy, and she gave him a nauseated nod, acknowledging she had heard it, too. As though voicing his own thoughts, she mouthed one word: War.

Snarling, Nick set off again, hoping to hurry them along. He had no desire to hear the rest of Rolen's speech and even less to hear how awful his home was being portrayed. The mammals outside might believe the worst of Zootopia—and some of it justified—but he did not have to be put through hearing it. If Bellwether had gotten her way, Rolen's fairy tale about prey threatening the Ursian lands might well have been entirely true.

They soon reached a narrow staircase, and Nick looked both ways down the hall, surprised there were no guards. Given the value of the journals, he could not fathom having less than a dozen armed soldiers. This had been altogether too easy, though he did not have the books in his paws yet, so there was still time for things to go sideways.

 _Sideways other than Judy dumping me?_ he asked himself, glowering. _Karma owes me bigtime this year. Those journals better be laid out in alphabetical order, with a sticky note apologizing for all the trouble. We're talking surprise wakeup sex level of apology here._

Slowly, Nick lowered himself down one step at a time, while Judy climbed down each. The stairs were sized for mammals far larger than either of them, making the descent difficult, especially with the effort of checking for soldiers above and below them. Not that Nick was certain what they would do if they were caught. Neither of them was armed, and running was going to be difficult.

At last, they both hopped off the last step into a poorly-lit hallway, with only one door at the far end. Despite the door being metal and heavily-reinforced, the place looked all but deserted, especially with the lone bulb overhead flickering endlessly.

"You sure?" Nick asked, motioning toward the door. "This looks like a county-clerk's records room, not the place I would hide priceless journals, which could change the course of history."

Judy reached down the neck of her vest and pulled back out the map, which was becoming far too much of a distraction for Nick each time she opened up her vest. Checking it again, she shrugged and put it away. "This is the only room with servers in the entire complex, and the only one with communications to other cities. It's here, or they are sitting on Rolen's desk. There aren't a lot of other choices."

"Right, so they need to be here," he mused, clicking his tongue as he neared the door. "Please be in here."

Rising up on his toes, Nick peeked through the keyhole of the door, finding that the room beyond was indeed filled with racks of computer servers. Several long benches ran the length of the middle of the room, with two dozen data-entry terminals. Sitting at one terminal was an older ocelot, who had one of the journals set up in front of him, as he typed rapidly.

"They're transcribing at least one journal," Nick whispered, lowering himself. He eyed the key hole briefly, then pulled out his picks. "This is going to take some time. You want to watch the stairs?"

Though she said nothing, Judy padded back to the stairs, and Nick could faintly hear her climb up several steps so she could see better.

 _We work great together, and she'll listen to me when I suggest anything else_ , he grumbled to himself, fitting the picks into the lock. _That bunny needs to stop playing hot and cold. If she loves me like she says she does, this is a no-brainer. Don't break up with the mammal you love. Kits? Really? That's the deal-breaker? That's a cop-out if I ever heard one. That bunny is getting a serious piece of my mind when we get back if she thinks we're going to go through this every time we get a case. To think I worried I was the unreasonable one._

Deep in his mind, Nick wondered if Judy had actually decided she did not want to stay with him during the time he had been declared dead, but he pushed that thought away quickly. It was not a topic he wanted to explore, nor did he even want to consider the idea that the breakup was more than a momentary thing. If Judy was actually leaving him, he was not sure he could find the strength to do more than drink himself into a stupor. The longer he was in denial, the more time he had to convince her she was making a huge mistake.

The lock clicked loudly as Nick found the last tumbler. Freezing, he waited several seconds to see if the ocelot inside heard them, but no one called out. When he checked the lock, he found the ocelot still typing—and noticed the headphones he had on. He would not hear Nick and Judy until it was too late.

"Fluff!" Nick whispered a little louder than he intended, and Judy came bounding down the stairs. "We're in!"

Once Judy fell in at his side, Nick carefully turned the door handle, until he felt the door begin to swing. He pushed it open, listening for any noise, but the hinges seemed to have heard his complaints about recent bad luck and remained silent. Soon, the door was open far enough that Judy ran into the room, taking cover near a server rack. Nick followed a second later, resting the door nearly closed before rushing to another row of servers. He dove out of sight, just as the ocelot began to turn. Thankfully, he heard no hint the older mammal was getting up.

Nick held his position until Judy came around the back side of the servers to join him. As soon as she was back at his side, she began motioning, pointing toward the ocelot, then something past him, and several paw gestures he could not follow.

"Wait, what?" he asked, trying to watch her paws. "You make fun of me for not knowing how to sign. That was nonsense."

Judy glowered and let her arms drop. "They taught that in the academy, Nick. The journals are past the ocelot. You jump him, and I'll collect the journals. Do I need to draw pictures?"

"Probably so," he told her, smirking at her irritation. "I'm just a dumb fox. Might I remind you I don't have any weapons? He may be old, but he's twice my size."

Judy peeked out past him, then returned to hiding. "Okay. New plan. You go for the journals."

"That actually doesn't in any way address the issue here, Carrots."

Ignoring him, Judy moved out to the edge of the servers. "On three. One…"

Before he could tell her to stop, Judy ran out—on "one"—and leapt at the ocelot, who appeared to still be blissfully unaware they were in the room, right up until a bunny slammed into his shoulder hind paws first, knocking his chair to the floor.

Nick began running, headed for the far side of the room, where a stack of the journals lay in a corner. He began to lose his stride when he saw Judy pull the ocelot off the floor, her arm locked around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, as he stood beside her, with the ocelot gasping and wheezing, trying to pull Judy off him. "We don't choke strangers!"

"I'm subduing him!" she insisted, holding her arm-bar as the ocelot got partway onto his paws. "Get the journals, for hare's sake! I can't do everything!"

Nick hesitated again, but grumbled and went back to doing what he was told. Picking up one book, he checked the cover, finding it marked as _Biological Research 7 of 15_. Looking at the others, he found most of the set, as well as several about explosives, armaments, and finally crop growth. Even with the journals being large for bunnies, not a fox, the forty-six books were more than he could easily carry. Forty-seven, if he counted the one still on the transcription desk.

Looking back toward the desk, he found Judy had things back under control. The ocelot was face-down on the floor—though still breathing—and she sat atop him, catching her own breath and flexing her arm.

"You okay?" he asked, and Judy nodded vaguely. "Seriously, are you all right? You shouldn't be jumping someone that much bigger than you without a plan."

"Stop doting, Nick," Judy warned, climbing down. Reaching up onto the desk, she grabbed the journal there. "That's part of why I made the decision I did. You worry too much. Do your job, officer."

Nick clicked his jaw shut and glared at the back of Judy's head for several seconds. Taking a deep breath, he decided to break the bad news to her. "We can't carry all these journals. What do you want to do?"

Judy turned to face him, holding the other book. "Snow said we could call her, if you still have your sat phone on you. I can check the computers and make sure nothing got transmitted yet."

Nick sat down, pushing the journals into large stacks in front of his hind paws, before digging out his phone. Tapping in the lengthy number, he waited patiently for an answer. It took nearly twenty rings, but finally the line did pick up.

"Yes?" came Skye's voice, muffled, as though trying not to be heard.

"We have a problem. I've got forty-seven journals, and no good way to carry them. Fluff is checking to make sure there are no copies—"

"You're down three journals," Skye replied, and Nick swore he could hear her paw partially-covering the phone. "Find them! All it takes is one, and he can wage war more effectively than his family ever has."

"I can't carry fifty journals, Snow," he said, before she could cut him off again. "What do you want me to do?"

"Burn them all," she answered, without hesitation.

Nick furrowed his brow, eyeing the journals in front of him. Opening one, he picked a random page, finding lengthy scientific documentation about corn density, and reducing waste to allow more mammals to be fed on less. "Are you sure? This stuff looks important."

"Burn them!" she insisted. "I don't care if the vaccine to mange is in there! We can't let him have those journals."

Nick opened another book, and found that the entire table of contents dealt with lagomorph—rabbit—medical treatments. "Snow, we're talking about destroying generations of medical research. You told me yourself not all of this was ever fully documented."

"I don't care! Nick, you need to get rid of them. There's no time to figure out what is and isn't vital. Destroy it all."

"Fine. We'll be back soon."

Nick hung up the phone and shoved it into his vest. Staring at the journals, he flipped open the cover of one after another, finding the topics varied greatly, though each seemed to attempt to keep to one species or area of research. Without consciously thinking about it, he started sorting the journals into three piles—one for obvious military research, one for medical or societally-benefitting research, and one for topics he could not even understand or did not care about.

"What'd she say?" Judy asked, still typing frantically on the keyboard. "The fans on these servers are really loud, and I didn't catch much."

"She told me to burn all the journals," he replied, tossing several more books onto the "don't understand" pile. That left him with twenty-nine in the military pile, eleven in the mystery pile, and a paltry six in the last. Checking the contents of those six, he found most dealt with species he was unfamiliar with, but the one was entirely about rabbits, and another covered canid topics. Those, he slid into a fourth pile of their own. "I'm not comfortable doing this. There's medical research, among other things."

"Follow orders," Judy insisted, tapping a key harder than normal. "There! He didn't send anything out yet, so I've deleted what he put in, and I've got the drives encrypting now. They'll be lucky to get anything off of them."

Nick stared at the journals spread out in front of him, feeling truly guilty at the idea of throwing away that much knowledge. He checked over his shoulder, but Judy was not paying attention to him. Instead, she was rummaging through a desk drawer with one paw, while holding the single journal in the other. Soon, she held up a pack of matches triumphantly.

Growling softly at the newest struggle in his mind, Nick did what he had learned to always do when confronted with instructions he disliked—he disobeyed. He quickly opened the lagomorph book, ripping most of the pages away from the binding, though he lost some of the text closest to the edge. He then repeated with the canine book, getting maybe a third of the pages before he heard Judy climb down off the chair.

Nick stacked the torn pages together, then shoved them all down his vest, and attempted to smooth them, so it would not be too obvious. Once he heard Judy approaching, he slid the covers to the bottom of the other piles of journals.

"You'll want to move back," Judy warned, tearing a few pages from her own journal, then tossing the rest onto the piles. She lit the match, using the pages she had ripped out to create a small torch. "Your fur will go up as fast as the paper."

Nick hopped up, moving quickly away from the pile as Judy lit them ablaze. A second later, alarms began going off overhead.

"Fire alarm," Nick thought out loud, running for the door, with Judy right behind him. "Let's get out of here!"

"Is that all the journals?" Judy asked, grabbing Nick's paw to slow and eventually stop him. "Did we get them all?"

Nick stared at Judy, wishing he could lie to her. It should have been so easy, but she would see through him, if only because he truly hated the idea of ever deceiving her. Today was not the day he began lying to her about anything important. "No. He has three more. Probably with him."

"Let's go." This time, Judy led the way up the stairs.

Following close behind her, Nick had to keep looking to either side to distract himself. In the narrow stairs, it was impossible to look up and not stare at her tail, which instantly made him sad to his core at the conversation before leaving Katrina's house. He honestly was not sure how he was going to be able to look at Judy without feeling either angry or sad. If they were unable to patch things up when they got home, he was reasonably certain watching her move out would kill him.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Judy dove for a nearby open door. Nick followed her, sliding into the alcove just as a half dozen armed mammals ran into the hallway, heading straight for the stairs.

"C'mon, I remember part of the floor plan," Judy whispered, leading the way into the room, then closing the door behind them. She motioned toward the far side, where another door was set into the wall. "This will take us out close to the front steps, so be careful. If he's got more journals, I'm betting they're in his room, upstairs. There are two secure bedrooms, and one has to be Rolen's."

Nick nodded curtly, following as Judy set off toward the far door. This door was clearly designed for larger mammals—far larger—and she struggled to get a good grip on the handle when jumping. Without asking, he picked her up and put her on his shoulders, which gave her the height needed to open the door.

"Good thinking, Slick," she whispered, once the door was open, while she remained on his shoulders.

"It's just teamwork," he answered, trying to keep any feelings out of his tone. This was particularly difficult with her hind paws near his eyes. Their first "date" had involved more than its fair share of paw rubs, and he had managed to keep from admitting to her that he had a very mild paw fetish, at least when it came to her. Deep down, Nick began to understand Skye's cold demeanor, especially when it came to one's feelings. Admitting to yourself that you cared only made life that much more painful. "Hurry up. We need to move."

Nick did not need to look up to know Judy was staring at him with a pained expression. By not looking, he spared himself from caving completely, as he had the day she had sought him out under a bridge during the Bellwether case. This was not going to be easy for either of them.

At last, Judy gently dropped to the floor, landing in a slight crouch. She pointedly avoided meeting his eyes when she stood. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and marched out the door, holding it ajar for Nick to slide through after her.

Moving quickly, the pair headed into the next hall, the next room, and yet another hallway, moving toward a staircase Nick dearly hoped Judy was correct in believing would take them close to the room Rolen used. As they neared the stairs, passing a second set leading down, Judy's ears went up as she approached a closed door on the left side of the hall.

"What do you—?" Nick began, cutting himself off as he heard the voice, himself.

Rolen.

"No, I will not film more speeches," came the bear's nearly-snarled reply to a question Nick had missed. "You get what I give you. Nothing more. Leave me."

A faint chuckle reached Nick's ears.

"No. You will get yourself to your room and rest…my warlord. If I am to act as your regent, I must insist you take proper care of yourself while you are in _my_ lands. It would be a shame if I had to tell our citizenry that you overexerted yourself. Those injuries don't look fatal, but you never do know."

Several seconds passed, and at last it was Rolen who submitted, rather surprising Nick. "Very well. I will retire for today. Tomorrow, we will discuss how best to move forward with my plans."

Judy turned partway to look at Nick, cocking her head. A faint click from the door alerted Nick they were about to be found, and she apparently heard it too, as she dropped to all fours and ran for the stairs. Nick raced after her, having to run on all fours as well.

Together, they hurried to the second floor of the building, as heavy pawsteps below hinted Rolen might be slowly making his way up the stairs. Judy led the way into a side room, where she slid on one hip right under the bed. Nick followed, diving face first, barely getting his tail under the edge of the bed before the room's door opened.

"Insufferable fool," muttered Rolen, his massive hind paws coming up alongside the bed, as Nick and Judy stared at his toe-claws. "First to be beheaded when I can raise the axe by myself. Loyalty to one's liege appears to be an outdated concept."

Nick glanced at Judy, but she held perfectly still, as though Rolen might hear them if she so much as breathed.

A pile of clothing which likely weighed more than Judy fell to the floor inches from Nick's nose. On it, he could pick up the strong scent of blood and mild infection. A second later, Rolen climbed onto the bed, his bulk sinking it low enough Nick had to lay flat to keep from being crushed.

They remained where they were for several minutes, until the bear's breathing steadied. Soon, he snored and one paw hung off the side, dangling near Judy's face.

"This is our chance," Judy whispered, though Nick had to read the words from her lips, as quiet as she was. "Find the books."

Nick slid out from under the bed, as Judy raced from cover and right up onto the nightstand nearest Rolen's pillow. He froze, wondering what she was up to, thinking perhaps she was simply scouting for him, in case the bear woke. Instead, she was already head and shoulders into the nightstand's drawers.

"Psst!" Nick hissed with his tongue, and thankfully, Judy poked her head out. "What're you doing?"

With a great deal of effort, Judy raised a bear-sized pistol in both paws. She then pointedly nodded her head toward Rolen.

Nick stood where he was, unsure what to do. He was all for fighting and even killing, if there were no other options. However, now he was faced with a true dilemma. Rolen was a murderer and had declared war, but he was still a mammal. A sleeping mammal, at that. He could not defend himself, and he would never know it was coming and definitely alert the rest of the building they were there. Firing a round into his skull would likely kill him, but it would also make Judy a murderer, no different than Rolen. It was not something the ZPD would ever condone, and would forever change Judy, if she made that decision.

As though reading his thoughts, Judy continued to dangle from the drawer, eyeing the pistol. She looked at Rolen again, then back to the weapon. Finally, she shook her head and slid the handgun back into the drawer, took six bullets under one arm, and dropped back to the floor.

"Hurry up!" she whispered, clearly angry, though Nick could tell it was more with herself than with him. She rolled the large bullets under the bed. "We need to go!"

Smiling, Nick darted around the room, searching for the journals, while Judy remained alongside the bed, watching Rolen.

 _She would never have forgiven herself_ , he mused, checking under a backpack and finding nothing but dirty laundry. _She's an officer at heart, not a killer. She isn't Skye and never will be. Even I don't have flexible enough morals to do that._

Nick came to an abrupt halt, his paws on a stack of papers.

 _So why did they choose us?_ he wondered, frowning. _Skye has to know we wouldn't do that kind of work. Either she's lying about how far the ZBI is willing to go, or she seriously misjudged us. One look at Judy…_ Nick held up his paws, staring at them. _It's not Judy. It never was. Skye thinks I'd do this sort of work. Flexible morals. She's implied it enough times, and the words come easy to me. They didn't want Judy, which is why they killed me off, not her. Son of a vixen, she's expendable, but I'm being drafted. Just when I think I can trust anything that comes out of Skye's mouth, there's another layer of deceit._

"Anything?" Judy said softly, bouncing on her toes so Nick could see her over the trunk at the end of the bed.

Nick looked back at the papers in front of him, then up at the window sill. There, all three journals lay unprotected. Reaching up, he pulled all of them to his chest and turned to grin at Judy, who looked decidedly relieved.

"Let's…" Nick hesitated, his eyes drifting to Rolen. Dressed in boxer shorts and an undershirt, the bear lay flat on his back, blood marring the white of his shirt where he had been shot weeks earlier. It was not the gunshot wound or even his lengthy fangs that caught Nick's attention. Rather, it was Rolen's hind paw on the bed. A large cuff was locked onto his ankle, resembling the collars Nick had seen in the old armory, and now worn by Judy. Either a shock-box or an explosive was built into one portion of the ankle cuff. "…go?"

Judy ran for the door, beckoning Nick.

Unable to quite convince himself to move without knowing everything, Nick crept up to the edge of the bed, despite louder and louder demands from Judy to go. He soon had his face level with the top of the mattress, the ankle cuff only inches away. A quick study told him all he needed to know. Unlike the regular collars, this had many failsafes. Barbing on the edges of the cuff would keep it from being tugged at without tearing into the fingers of whoever tried to move it. The material of the band itself was Kevlar, or something similar, unlikely to be easily cut away. Most importantly, the box on the side was marked with both a radio frequency—hinting that it could be monitored from some distance—and two characters Nick had no desire to see so close to his nose: C4.

 _They strapped a bomb to him?_ he nearly shrieked in his own mind, staring at the ankle cuff. _What the hell is going on here? Warlord or prisoner?_

"Now, Nick!" Judy insisted.

Tearing himself away, Nick followed her from the room, glancing back once more as they went.

 _Something about this doesn't add up at all_ , he thought, shaking his head as the two of them ran through the building toward the nearest window. More than once along the way back to the house, he thought they were being shadowed, but aside from another fox half a block away, no one stood out. _And now I'm paranoid. Great._

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.4 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday Afternoon – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

"You need to calm down, right now," Skye said firmly, pulling her tail into her lap as she sat on the dirt floor of the servants' room, trying to ignore Harry without success. He had been getting more riled by the minute, whether she acknowledged him or not. "You know what the job entails. Drop it."

Harry kicked a pebble hard enough that it embedded itself in the wooden walls, startling several kits and the one previously-sleeping adult bunny in the room. "No, I do not need to calm down! We've talked about this. I did not get all these scars trying to see you have a better life, only to have some asshole fox jump on you the moment I'm out of sight! I chose him to help, not for you to… Dammit, Snow, I saw the look on your face and this is not okay! You were desperate for him to touch you. You're better than this. You don't need his approval."

Skye winced, wishing she had somewhere else she could take Harry until he stopped ranting. Slaves might be used to seeing their fellows fight or suffer, but they certainly would talk. So far, nothing had been blurted out which might blow their cover, but Harry was so far past reasonable that it was going to happen sooner or later. Ignoring him—her first attempt at stopping the ranting—had only made matters worse.

"Zippy, stop it!" she growled, finally getting through to Harry, as he let his paws drop to his sides. "I'm still in control of this. I was barely awake and cuddly. Besides, so what if he did do something? We both know he didn't hurt me, and even if he did, that's between me and him, not you and me. Do your damned job! Our master can do what he wants with me. You do _not_ get a say. By the bear, I barely get a say! Besides, what happened to 'I have no sex drive' and 'don't worry about me, I'm with someone new every night'?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, and the anger seething there was contrasted by the habitual nose-twitching. Skye recognized that anger…it was the same look Nick had given her when he found out about Judy being accosted in the firing range. "Okay, both of those were lies to make you stop worrying about me, but don't lie to me, Snow. I can smell him all over you. Fluff was beside herself at what she saw. I'm not an idiot. You just want to protect him because he's your _master_. I get it, I just don't like it. If he hurts you…"

Skye rolled her eyes and took a slow breath to keep from strangling Harry. "This is not the time—"

"Then when?" demanded Harry, stepping closer to Skye than she was entirely comfortable with, as though he might strike at her. She knew she was overreacting, but usually Harry knew her comfort zones far better than she did. "When he's gotten what he wants and ditches us? When he gets done abusing you like your old master? How much do I have to clean up this time?"

Skye bared her fangs briefly, looking to the other slaves. They were watching her as though she needed to resolve things, which was not wrong. A bunny simply did not yell at a fox, even if they were both servants or slaves. Since Harry had been introduced as her slave, it was on her to rebuke him, even if Nick were around. He left her no choice.

Lunging forward, Skye tackled Harry, pinning him down by his shoulders before he could react. She planted the bulk of her weight on his stomach, no longer really caring if she hurt him. She lowered her muzzle to almost touch noses, still baring her teeth.

"You will stop," she warned, her voice low. "He did not fuck me or hurt me, so get a grip on your emotions, Zippy. It's none of your concern either way. You know that as well as I do. That topic is between him, myself, and Fluff, not you. Now explain what your problem is, before I knock you out and let you sleep this off."

Harry squirmed, trying to free his arms, but she held tight, using her larger size to trap him. Finally, he sighed and settled. "You're right. It's my problem, not yours. I'm out of line. I'll let it go."

"No, we're well past that," she said, growling softly. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the other bunnies relaxing. Somehow, even aggression was more normal and acceptable than Harry yelling at her. "What do you care if he and I were together? I expected to get verbally and physically assaulted by Fluff, not you." Harry refused to look her in the eyes, turning his head to prevent her from even coming close to centering in his field of vision. She had dealt with enough ZBI prisoners to know shame when she saw it. "What's going on with you? You demanded they join us, and now you panic as soon as him and I share a bed? I had to play a similar role with my instructor during our first investigation, and you didn't even bat an eyelash when you heard about it."

"I didn't believe for a second you would fall for him," Harry finally muttered, staring at the wall. "I don't care if you sleep with any of them. I care if you have feelings, especially for those who hurt you, or would. Nick will break your heart eventually, if you let him. Besides, he's kind of cute and definitely your type. I'm not stupid. Keep this up and you'll throw yourself at him to convince yourself he isn't someone you want. I thought we had more time before your self-doubt forced me to take sides against Fluff and Nick."

Skye's anger collapsed, and she stared at Harry as though he had gone insane. Suddenly, sitting stop him felt awkward, and she fought to keep from nervously darting to the wall. She released his arms. Nick's talk the night before about Harry came to mind unbidden. "Explain yourself. You know I don't let myself care about anyone."

Harry looked in her general direction, his attention fixed on her shoulder, rather than her face. "You don't let yourself, anymore. You did more than once. In case you forgot, I'm the one who had to drag you away from the first male, even with him beating you daily. Nick's a lot like him, if he were angrier and far drunker. We don't know Nick, and we don't know what he might do, especially to protect his relationship with Fluff."

Skye's shoulders sank, and she could barely hold herself upright. She checked on the other bunnies, finding that they had moved out into the hallway, all but ensuring they could no longer hear her. "He's not like my old master, and I'm not liking what you're projecting on him. As for…before…I'm a loyal creature, Zippy. You know that. I was a loyal slave. They beat me, yes. Where I was, that wasn't unusual. I wasn't going to run, especially with you still wearing a collar. Either we both left, or neither did. You didn't need to step in."

"Yes, I did!" he snapped, still avoiding her eyes. "He beat you and you still shared his bed. Do you know how often I heard you crying after he was asleep? I can't go through that again. I can't even let things go that direction."

Skye's skin felt abruptly cold. She had never realized anyone had heard her, and had tried very hard to put those nights out of her mind. "No. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I did, but not to you. That's why I have these scars." He motioned to the deep gashes on his arms, ears, and head. "I couldn't bear seeing you treated that way, but apparently a wolf doesn't really like having a cute little bunny tell him to stay off his favorite fox. You want to sleep with Nick…fine. I don't care. Sleep with all of the Ursian nobles, for all I care. I just don't want to find you curled up and crying again. I will kill him if that happens, Skye. The day he breaks your heart to run back to Fluff, remember this conversation."

Skye flinched and checked the room's door again. Thankfully, no one was remotely close enough to hear his slip on her name. "Zippy, you need to stop this. I'm not yours, and I'm not even with Nick. He won't hurt me, and you need to get over whatever overprotective garbage is in your head. You can't protect all the slaves, so stop trying."

Harry reached up to put his paw gently on her cheek. "I don't want to save _all_ the slaves. This has always been about one."

Practically throwing herself sideways, Skye slid away from Harry, pulling her knees to her chin. She watched him nervously with her muzzle propped on her knees. "Now you're scaring me. Where did this come from?"

Harry slowly sat up, now unwavering in watching her. "I can't have been that subtle. You had to know. The lies about all the does I ran around with…c'mon, that was about as transparent as I could get. I haven't been with anyone in years."

Skye shivered, finding herself in the position of not wanting to meet his eyes. Things had reversed far faster than she liked. "I don't think that way. You're my friend and my partner. Nothing more. There's the job, there's roles I play, and there's nothing else. Emotion has no place in what we do."

Sighing, Harry nodded. "Always the cold one. Might I remind you it was me who taught you how to hide from your own feelings so you didn't react as badly to the whip? That night you were sobbing in the rain after your master decided to take a belt to you because you weren't cheerful enough at dinner. I should have just kept my mouth shut, like I had in the past."

She bit her lip, trying not to really answer him. Without thinking about it, she slid one paw to her back, where the scars from her old master's whip could be felt through her fur. "What happened to him? I never asked. He never came looking for me, but I was afraid to ask why."

"Wolves always underestimate bunnies," Harry answered evasively, staring at his hind paws. "Took some work to finish him. I was pretty much on top of him before he even wondered why I was carrying a board. I swore to you he would never come looking for you. That's what matters. A friend helped me make sure no one will ever find him."

Skye slid a little farther away. "I ran. I got away. That was my doing."

Harry smiled sadly, his eyes distant.

"Okay, now you're creeping even me out," she said, suppressing a full-body shiver as she stood up. "On your paws, Zippy. We're going to do our jobs. I don't care what you did, or why you did it. We have work to do. We'll clean up the room, and go about daily life. This topic needs to be forgotten."

Ignoring Harry, Skye hurried out of the room, passing several bunnies who were waiting near the kitchen for some work to perform. Judging by how they watched her pass, they might not have heard the specifics of the conversation, but they had certainly given her some distance while she and Harry argued. Thankfully, none said anything to her as she marched into the kitchen, and then into the main house. She was not foolish enough to think they would not be gossiping shortly.

 _Idiot bunny is way out of line_ , she thought, ears twitching as she heard him following a short distance behind her. _He was my slave. He's just attached to the first animal he was assigned to. Bunnies obsess about family, even if it's not by blood. I should have seen this long ago. I've chased off far better mammals in my life, and I'm certainly not going to let my own partner make things awkward. That's Wilde's game, not mine. Keep your head, Skye. Harry will recognize he crossed a line this time, and back off. If he doesn't, just finish the mission and fire him when it's done. Simple. Direct. Emotionless. It's how we get the work done. If he touches your cheek again, you know at least seven ways to kill a bunny._

Skye raised one paw, finding it trembling. Fights did not unnerve her, so she was well aware of what had gotten to her, but it was not something she wanted to consider. Her friend had all but admitted he had feelings for her. There was no room for feelings in their line of work. She had a hard enough time with the idea Hopps was likely going to try to murder her by the end of the mission over her mildly intimate contact with Nick—and of course the unresolved anger about "killing" him—but now she had Harry's moods to deal with, too. One night cuddling and now she had two mammals ready to go to war, while the one she had actually been with was handling things quite well.

 _Messy_ , she grumbled, tightening her paw into a fist to steady it. _Of course I care about that imbecile bunny, but not like this. He'll have to get over it on his own. I don't have time for it. Maybe I'll reassign him when we get back to the city, assuming Bogo doesn't get us both put in a cell for the rest of our lives._

That thought brought Skye to a sharp halt. She had never considered working without Harry. Even after her escape from Ursian lands, she had done little more than train and formulate ways to free him. Her first mission had allowed her to drag his nearly-lifeless body back to Zootopia. There, he had stayed with her for weeks. She had even gotten leave from the ZBI while he recovered, and then she had personally trained him as her new partner. Training Harry was one of the reasons they were among the last agents left alive. Had she been at her desk, she would have died when Rolen had reached the city. Her office had been the first he had found, and nineteen mammals had died, including the maned wolf who had started her training as an agent.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, still a goodly distance behind her. He seemed to understand she needed space, even if he would not entirely leave her alone. "Snow?"

Skye opened her mouth to reply, but then realized someone else's arguing was not too far away. Given that they were no longer in the slave quarters, she had to assume Katrina was bickering with someone, or Nick and Judy had returned and were hashing out their own drama. There was definitely a female voice—Katrina—but the male one arguing with her was too low to recognize.

"Follow me," she whispered, taking off down the hallway, instead of heading upstairs to tidy up her and Nick's room as she had originally intended.

Skye soon reached the front hall, where she slid into the cover of an ornate umbrella-rack. Harry dropped in behind her, essentially using her as his own hiding place.

Ahead of them, Katrina stood in the hallway facing another tiger. After only a few days, Skye took a second to recognize Markus Fangmeyer. Nearer the door, Cannus stood on crutches, while Spetz remained silent off to one side. The scent of Delgato was strong, and she noticed a large shadow across the front door's window. The lion was standing guard.

"…don't care what you think you saw!" Markus growled, pacing in an arc around Katrina, as though stalking her. "The foxes are old friends. I want to speak with them."

Katrina's eyes were half-closed, giving her both a bored and patronizing expression. "And I already told you I would not help you, even if they were here. I talked to the other soldiers. No foxes in my house recently. I escorted your _friends_ to a safe location. You will not find them here, and if my prayers to the warlords come to pass, you will not find them anywhere. Now, leave my house."

Skye slid a little farther behind the umbrella rack. As much as she wanted to reunite their team, doing so in front of their only local ally was unwise at best. She had to hope Markus could defuse the situation before Katrina had him thrown out.

"Listen, we've started off on the wrong paw," Markus said, raising both paws as he relaxed. Skye was not entirely certain if he was trying to get Katrina to calm, or himself. "I've known Nick and his servants for years. Yes, we were bickering. Have you met him? That doesn't make me his enemy, and it doesn't make me a threat. I just want to talk to him. I won't touch him, and I won't try to take him by force."

Katrina's whiskers flattened against her muzzle as she glared at Markus. Finally, she turned her head to look straight at Skye. "Snow, please come here. I need your input on this."

Checking behind her, Skye verified Harry was staying put. This would be a delicate matter, and he had proven to be unstable while his emotions were high. Thankfully, he leaned against the umbrella rack, giving no indication of wanting to leave.

"Yes, ma'am?" Skye asked, coming out with her head low, attempting to appear as meek as possible. "How may I assist?"

"Your master, do you know when he intends to return?" Katrina inquired, returning her attention to Markus.

"No, ma'am."

"Can you speak to this fool's claims?"

Skye peeked up at Markus, seeing the annoyed dismay in his expression. He thought she would sell him out. Apparently, all ZPD officers had a far worse opinion of her than she had hoped. "I can, ma'am. I may be new to the household, but Nick has confided in me when we are in private."

A faint grumble from Harry made Skye's hackles rise, but she had to ignore him. That bunny was going to be on the receiving end of some martial training exercises when the mission was done, if he kept up his possessiveness. If Nick were not so committed to Judy, Skye wondered if _actually_ sleeping with him would be the easiest way to resolve things with Harry.

"Well then, I'll let you address this," Katrina explained, motioning broadly toward Fangmeyer. "This tiger claims to know your master, and wishes to speak with him. He brought…friends. Armed friends, if I'm not mistaken."

Skye squinted at Cannus and Spetz, both of whom attempted to smooth their clothing over handguns.

"I do know them, ma'am," Skye said quickly, moving closer to Markus, if only to prove she was not afraid of him. "They are telling the truth. They are no threat. Shall I discuss things with them?"

Katrina watched Skye carefully, then took a knee in front of her. "Child, if they cause any trouble, just call out. I'll ensure they regret their life choices. I'll be in the next room."

Skye smiled demurely and offered her thanks, before turning to Markus. She then waited as Katrina made her way out of the hall, and could be heard taking a seat in the nearest room.

"What are you doing here?" Skye demanded, once she was certain they were alone. "Nick's at the city hall getting the journals now. Where've you been?"

"Hospital," answered Cannus immediately, glowering. "Sprained ligaments in my ankle. Thanks for asking. The hospital wouldn't let me leave without paying, but some good Samaritan paid for us. I've been trying to send these three after you since we got separated. We got a call from Milo an hour ago, making it a bit more urgent that we reunite."

Skye glanced at the soft cast on Cannus's hind paw, then returned her attention to Markus. "The others should be back with the journals soon. Please tell me you have good news, both from Milo and of your own."

"You're in luck," Markus snapped, leaning to look for Katrina before continuing. "I've got the security codes to access Rolen's room at night, the patrol schedule, and uniforms for Delgato and Spetz. Before you complain, no, the soldiers' bodies won't be found."

"What about you and Cannus?"

"That's tricky. No uniforms would fit me, so I'm on my own. He's acting as our eyes and staying back. If you'd waited another few hours before invading, we could have cut the risk on Nick and Judy significantly and done it ourselves. What've you been doing here? All tea and crumpets?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "Slaves don't have tea and crumpets."

"So Nick got all of those?"

"Yes…I mean, no, I actually did get some with breakfast…but that's not the point, Markus. Military is searching for us. This house is being watched."

Fangmeyer's eyes narrowed. "Why? Were you seen?"

"No. The owner is smuggling slaves and low-born predators out of the region. They know she's up to something, so while it's a great cover for us, it's also the first place the soldiers will look. We'll need you four to sneak back out and…"

The front door opened suddenly, and Delgato slid inside, before closing it behind him.

"Soldiers, headed this way," he announced. The sound of him locking the door echoed eerily.

Before Skye could bark new orders, Katrina came marching into the room. She walked right past Skye and up to Markus, who watched with a touch of confusion. Abruptly, Katrina punched Markus in the throat, dropping him to his knees. She then turned on Delgato, grabbing the front of his shirt as she extended the claws on her other paw, when Cannus and Spetz both drew handguns on her.

"Whoa!" Skye explained, lunging into the fray. "Everyone stop, right now! Katrina, I'm serious, these are friends. Markus…are you okay, or am I going to have to do an emergency tracheotomy?"

Wheezing, Fangmeyer held up his paw and gave her a thumbs-up. The others lowered their weapons slowly.

"Disappointing," replied Katrina, crossing her arms over her chest. "He deserves an extra hole in his neck. Someone mind explaining why there are more soldiers coming my way, and he somehow isn't responsible?"

Skye looked up at Katrina. "He's telling the truth. He's friends with Nick. They—"

"Child, stop right there," Katrina warned, motioning for the other predators to move past her as she bolted the door and closed the curtains over the window alongside it. "Look at your arms to understand why I am telling you to close your mouth. Let the free mammals talk."

Skye nearly got angry, but then lowered her gaze to her forearms, where the slave markings were all too obvious in the light sleeveless shirt she wore. Sighing, she let her arms drop and turned toward Fangmeyer, hoping he could explain.

Markus got back onto his paws with a little help from Delgato, while Katrina's attention shifted entirely to the front door as larger mammals came up onto the porch. "I'll admit to anything once they're gone."

Katrina scowled over her shoulder at Markus, then gestured toward Harry, behind Skye. "Zippy, get everyone to the hidden room you were in this morning. Same routine. I'll be down in a bit."

"Zippy?" asked Carl Cannus, grinning as he shifted his weight on his crutches. "He got that to stick? I somehow missed that on our way here. Oh, this is too good. Lead on!"

The ZPD officers formed up quickly, as Harry started down the hall toward the kitchen, with Spetz helping Cannus move more rapidly, and Stan trying to hurry Markus along. Skye followed them, repeatedly checking the front door as she went. Just before she lost sight of Katrina, the tigress unlocked the bolt on the door.

"Go!" Skye hissed, turning back to her group. "They're bound to smell us! We need to be far out of sight!"

At the head of the group, Harry diverted them toward the back corner of the kitchen. There, an antelope who was preparing dinner stepped aside and opened a passage behind one of the cabinets, without missing a step in her preparations. Once Skye entered the passage, the antelope kicked the door closed behind them, shutting out nearly all of the light.

"I can't see," Harry announced. All six of them were crowded tightly into the small space, with Delgato's tail a little too close to Skye's nose for comfort. "Should be a tunnel leading away…"

"Got it," Carl Cannus announced, a second before even Skye could quite see the uneven walls. "Stay close on me and I can lead."

Skye started forward, intending to slide past the lion and tiger, but to her shock and dismay, Stan picked her up. In his other arm, he already had Harry cradled, as he slowly lumbered after Carl and Felix, who had taken point.

"What are you doing?" Skye demanded, unsuccessfully pushing against Delgato's arm in an attempt to get free. "Put us down. We aren't children."

Stan snorted and kept walking. If anything, he tightened his grip on them. "Small space. Everyone not on the floor makes it easier on those of us who need to lose some weight. Besides, I heard how the tigress talked to you. Someone's pretty sure you _are_ a kit."

"Not remotely," she snapped, though fighting to get away seemed to not be worth the effort. "Slaves are viewed as uneducated and barely smarter than fish or birds. She knows I wasn't born a slave, but that changes nothing. It's habit."

"Charming. Saw a lot of that at the hospital, too." Stan said, as he followed close behind Markus navigating through the halls. If Skye remembered correctly, they were one more turn away from the hidden room for runaway predators. "I almost felt bad when I saw a bunny get slapped across a room and initially thought of Nick going after Zippy. We had to get out of there in a hurry, or I was gonna kill someone. This place is awful."

Skye shrugged and nodded to herself. "I'm glad you finally understand. We're still near the border. It gets a lot worse farther in. In case you want more confirmation, ask Nick about dinner last night when you see him."

The lion looked down at her with something between confusion and curiosity.

"We're here," Carl announced from the lead, as light from ahead made the passage easier to move through. "Oh…hello."

Scrambling out of Stan's arms, Skye leapt to the ground and hurried into the larger room beyond. There, the otters, fossa, serval, and ferret had flattened out on the far wall, watching the far larger predators with unabashed terror. They believed they had been caught.

"They're friends!" Skye insisted. She had never once considered having to say those words so many times in one day, let alone having anyone believe it when said by a fox. Both groups stayed extremely still, watching the other. "They're wanted, too. They won't be staying long."

The otters were the first to relax, while the fossa and serval continued glowering long after even the ferret had calmed. The nervousness flared again among them as Skye's companions sat down, and Felix's handgun became briefly visible.

"Friends!" Harry reiterated, stepping between the fossa and Spetz. "They've been fighting _against_ the military, not with them!"

All eyes widened and turned to stare at the largest among them—specifically Delgato and Fangmeyer, who ignored the fresh attention as they settled against the wall. Cannus and Spetz, however, both perked up, as though ready to explain anything and everything. Seemingly trying to further curry acceptance, Spetz drew his pistol, removed the magazine, and placed it on the floor.

"You're all runaways?" asked the fossa, Cyndi, blinking her large eyes rapidly. "I…I've actually never seen anyone my size or larger who was wanted. What did you do? You can't be servants. You aren't even low-born."

Before Skye could attempt to explain, Fangmeyer sat forward and announced, "No, we aren't. We also don't have any servants, and never will. Someone has to stand up for other mammals, be they big or small."

A series of whispers rolled through the other predators, though the fossa appeared too entranced by the idea of who they were to even glance at her fellows. "You're…freedom fighters? Like Katrina?"

The ZPD officers turned almost in unison to look at Skye, which only seemed to further confuse the other mammals. Given that they believed her a slave and not a member of any "team", the befuddlement was reasonable in her mind.

"These four work with Nick," Skye began, but the other mammals squinted, grasping none of it. "Right. Nick. The red fox. My master. They came here to help stop Rolen from retaking control over the region. With him gone, there's at least a chance for change."

A loud snort from the side of the room drew Skye's attention to the passage they had used to get into the hidden underground chamber. There, Katrina leaned against the wall, glowering at Fangmeyer.

"Hardly any chance of that," she said, slowly looking to Skye. "Rolen's been gone since his father died. If anything, it's made matters worse. A hundred petty warlords rose up in his place, claiming a city each. I've smuggled far more mammals north in the last year than my husband did in his lifetime. Now, anyone care to explain why you wouldn't already know how bad it is? Where are you six from?"

Skye turned back to Markus, who cocked his head and rolled his eyes. He was going to confess, and she had no good reason to stop him. Nodding, she shifted onto her knees, ready to move in a hurry if there was serious conflict over the idea of Zootopians being south of the border. She was so preoccupied with being ready that she barely noticed Harry sit down beside her.

"We aren't from here," Markus said slowly, gesturing at the ZPD officers—and pointedly not indicating Skye or Harry, though the others did not seem to catch it. "Some might view your people as enemies, but we don't. The intent is to help."

"Helping rarely ends with the anticipated results," snapped Katrina, whiskers twitching. "I know what you are. The last time your kind snuck in here, the riots lasted for months. I lost my husband in that unrest. A lot of good mammals died. In the end, the lesser predators are still being treated like nothing better than servants."

Markus' brows came down sharply. "This isn't about the smaller predators. This is about all mammals. We don't have slaves at all."

"Thus why you are spending time with foxes, instead of chaining them like some do. Let's not pretend the bunnies aren't your property. I doubt they'd survive long on their own."

Rolling onto his hind paws, Fangmeyer marched across the room, stopping just in front of Katrina. She did not even blink as he confronted her. "They are not slaves, either. We don't enslave _anyone_. One of my senior officers is a mouse."

"Prey aren't people," she countered, standing up straight so she was only a head shorter than Markus. "That's nature, not just law. I'll fight to protect your supposed revolution with my dying breath, but I won't let one cause get dragged down by something as foolish as prey-rights. Pick your battles, or I'll have to believe you're as stupid as a bunny. No offense to Zippy, but I doubt he really grasps the severity of this situation, other than that we're arguing."

"No, you're probably right about that one," Markus said, without looking back at them. Skye reached over and caught Harry's arm, just in case. Aside from some grumbling, he kept still. "But trying to say that about all prey is about as narrow-minded as I've ever heard. You never once considered that your slaves—"

"Servants," Katrina cut in, crossing her arms.

"—are just mammals being abused because of the color of their fur or the lack of claws? It's sick, and it's not something I'm okay with. We save everyone, or the fight isn't even worth doing. You've been saving mammals from slavery? Great. Now, learn to do it for all mammals, not just the ones you like."

The glare from Katrina slowly faded, until she wrinkled one side of her muzzle in a partial smile. "You really do feel strongly about this, don't you?"

"Absolutely," Markus came right back, sounding as though he were on the verge of panting. "Some of the finest mammals I've ever known were prey. If you can't see that…"

The words trailed off as Katrina put one paw on Markus's chest. "Enough. I disagree, but I applaud you for standing up for them. You would have liked my husband. He is the one who convinced me about lesser predators the way you're trying to about prey. I've gotten rid of the soldiers for now, but they will come back. Your friends should rest down here. You, I'd like to speak more with—possibly argue more with. We can dine upstairs, and I'll have food brought down for the others."

Fangmeyer blinked hard, looking around as though he had been cornered. "Wait, what? You just asked me to have dinner with you, after we almost came to blows?"

"We didn't come as close as you think, and who's to say you could take me in a fight?" She turned and began walking down the hall. "However, now I know how to rile you. Be careful with that."

Rising up on her knees, Skye called after Markus before he disappeared into the passage. "Check what you're eating. Seriously. Check first."

Fangmeyer gave her a quizzical look, before Katrina grabbed his paw and hurried him from the room.

"Is he safe, should we go after him?" asked Delgato quietly, moving over beside Skye, with Spetz shifting over a second later to listen.

Skye stared at the hall where Markus had been, then smiled. "No. I think Katrina likes arguing with him. This might actually help our cause."

"Well, good or bad, we've got limited time," Stan insisted. "When the others get here, we should be ready to move out."

Before Skye could respond, she realized Carl had not moved to join them. Looking past Delgato and Felix, she saw Cannus was still talking to the female fossa in hushed tones, explaining more about where they were from and why they had come. She swore she heard the fossa say, "How brave of you" right before putting her paw over Carl's. Skye rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her companions who were actually listening.

"Agreed," Skye said, shaking her head. "Too many distractions here, it seems. Assuming our remaining operatives did what they were supposed to, we'll be out of here in no time. This whole mission is devolving into a confusing mess of hormones." Faintly, Skye heard Harry whisper an apology to no one in particular, but chose to ignore him. "In fact, I'll go watch for them."

Getting to her paws, Skye headed toward an old ladder, which had been pointed out earlier in the day as an escape route and the method Nick and Judy had used to slip out of the house. She climbed up and into the back yard of the home—hidden from prying eyes by tall fences and a gazebo over the area where the ladder came up—only to find Harry a few steps below her when she went to close the trap door.

"No, absolutely not," she warned, blocking him from getting off the ladder. "We aren't having any more conversations until you check your behavior and take a few cold showers."

Blinking, Harry stared at her as though she had crushed his hopes and dreams. "I'm sorry, Snow. I never meant to scare you off..."

Skye sighed and rubbed her muzzle, wishing she still had her fake glasses. Cleaning them provided a wonderful delay tactic. "You didn't scare me. I just… This isn't something I can even think about right now. I'm not saying I will be any nicer when we're back, but I will not have this discussion while on a mission. Go cool off. If you can get back to acting professional, I can pretend this never happened."

"I'm sorry I overreacted," Harry said, taking the trap door from her. "I had no right."

"Not discussing it. Go back to the others," she insisted, pointing down the ladder.

Harry slowly closed the trap door and she heard him climb down the ladder, taking his sweet time.

"I really am their den mother, aren't I?" Skye muttered to herself, sitting down on the gazebo to stare at the clouds overhead with dismay. "It's like herding emotional, heavily-armed, and highly frustrating children. If this is some form of karma, I owe the universe one hell of an apology."

"Snow!" came a hushed call from somewhere behind her, and Skye immediately recognized Judy's voice.

Closing her eyes, Skye tried to convince herself to get up. She somehow knew there was going to be either more bad news, or someone else's feelings got hurt along the way, which was going to somehow bite her in the tail.

"Yes, Fluff?" Skye finally managed to ask, turning around to sit on the edge of the gazebo, as though she were merely outside enjoying the day. "Please tell me there's good news."

Coming across the yard from a small hidden door in the fence, Nick and Judy looked far happier than when they had left. More importantly to Skye, Nick was carrying three journals in his arms.

"Yes, we have good news," he announced as he reached her, grinning as he held up the books. "That's all of them."

Skye let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at him. "Thank you. Please head downstairs and get those burned. Were you able to deal with Rolen?"

A brief nervous glance was exchanged between Nick and Judy. The bunny opened her mouth to reply, but Nick quickly cut her off. "Saw him, but couldn't do anything about him. I got pretty freaked out with all the patrols. That's on me. Besides, not like we had any good way to kill or capture a bear with just the two of us."

Judy gave him an annoyed glare, but Skye did not need her help in recognizing the lie. Whatever had happened was likely her fault, and Nick was going to cover for her no matter what. Skye simply did not have the strength to argue.

"Go on down, Nick," she said, motioning to the trap door. "I'll get the story from Fluff and be right down."

Nick gave her a victorious smirk—likely thinking he had gotten away with his lie—and headed down the ladder into the underground room.

Reaching back, Skye closed the trap door and watched Judy, who had her eyes on the ground, while fidgeting with one toe in the grass.

"Spit it out," Skye said firmly. "What happened? Spare no detail."

"Well," Judy began, wincing. "I realized how much it was hurting me seeing you two together. I couldn't accept it, no matter what we talked about before we left. Between that and some other problems between us, I decided to break up for now. It's better for the team, better for us, and doesn't drag you into the middle of our relationship. I won't hold anything you two did or do against you."

Skye stared in disbelief at Judy for nearly a full minute before she could find words. "Are you kidding me? I meant about Rolen! What is wrong with all of you? Do any of you think about anything more than your social lives? I did not set all of this up to explore the intricacies of everyone's relationships. You know what… No, I'm done having this argument."

Judy blinked and shrunk back, apparently ready to be scolded and not really understanding why.

"You, Harry, and Nick are going to be the death of me!" Skye blurted out, though she wanted to kick herself when she realized she had used Harry's actual name, and was yelling at Judy for no good reason. "Nick is treating me like his sister, not his mate. We didn't do anything, and bear knows, I tried to coax him into at least pretending he was interested. Would I have slept with him? Yes, absolutely, but that's sometimes part of the job, Fluff! Now, I have Zippy freaking out on me about sleeping with Nick, you breaking up with Nick because I slept with him, and me feeling guilty despite _not actually_ sleeping with him! Tell me why I shouldn't have a complete meltdown dealing with all of you!"

Judy swallowed and looked past Skye toward the closed trap door, then back. She opened her mouth and seemed to reason her way through things, but finally came over to sit beside Skye, with her paws on her knees.

"I know you two didn't do anything," Judy admitted, the softness of her voice helping to calm Skye's frayed nerves. "After Silvia, it's not easy for me. I get jealous and possessive. It's not fair to anyone involved. Breaking up was easier to do than to stay quiet while things happened that bothered me. I can't speak for anyone else, but I do get scared I'm going to lose him to someone… To a…"

"To a fox," Skye finished for her, groaning. "You did the right thing for now. This type of work isn't easy on emotions. He loves you more than…honestly, more than I understand. I envy what you two have, but I have no desire to get into the middle of it. I've never been someone anyone would come to for advice, so I'm not sure I can help with the rest of it."

Judy looked up at her, brows furrowed. "You're sure he loves me?"

"Disgustingly so. I doubt there's any possible thing any vixen anywhere in the world can do that would make him take his mind off of you. The breakup is idiotic and serves no purpose. You can quote me on that. I recommend patching that up as soon as possible, preferably once we're out of these lands."

Judy smiled sadly. "When he was gone, I spent time with my family. Probably too much time. Something they brought up a lot was children. I've always tried to keep that out of my mind, between work goals, and now the fact that we can't have kits. It rattled me hearing it from others, and seeing him in bed with you made me wonder if I'm cheating him out of something he might want or need in life. I felt selfish for loving him."

Skye wanted to scream. This was not a conversation she should have been having with anyone. Still, calming down her teammates was more important than her own comfort. "It's good to think about it, but don't make that decision for him. Talk to him about it…when you get home. Make sure he understands what he's giving up and what you are, and how you feel about that. I think if anyone can find a way to make it work creatively, it's probably you two."

Slowly, Judy's smile brightened. "I… You know, it's funny to hear something reassuring from you. My siblings think I'm really strange in how determined I am to stubborn my way through life, with or without a partner. I may be among the oldest Hopps who doesn't have a herd of kits to call her own. Seeing you two together reminded me how different I am from my siblings. I've got a half dozen brothers and at least that many sisters in open relationships, and most of the others wouldn't blink at something along those lines if their mate wanted it. Me, I freak out the moment I see you two cuddling, even when I _know_ it's nothing."

"I won't steal him from you," Skye reassured Judy, leaning to bump Judy's shoulder with her side. "I doubt I could if I tried. We foxes are far more possessive than bunnies, and even then, I have no wish to take him away. I'd rather see you two together, even if I had a crush on him. Thankfully, I don't."

Judy got up, and to Skye's surprise, bent over and kissed Skye on the cheek. "Thanks. I actually needed that. I may have thought too little of you when we met…especially with that whole killing Nick thing."

"That's great," Skye said, struggling to keep her tone pleasant, while suppressing an eye twitch. "Rolen? Please?"

Judy's shoulders dipped slightly. "We couldn't kill him. We did see him, though. If we'd taken the shot, there's a good chance he'd have lived _and_ the guards would have trapped us before we got the journals out. I made a judgement call."

Skye studied Judy's face for some time, picking out the subtle worry and sadness. "You couldn't do it, could you?"

"No." The shame was unmistakable on the bunny's face. "I found a weapon, and he was asleep. I couldn't pull the trigger. The rest is true, too."

Skye wanted to be mad, knowing they could have lost their only chance at the real target of their mission, but she could not quite push herself that far. Instead, she reluctantly put one paw on Judy's. "It's okay. We aren't all cut out for being ruthless killers, even if it's for the greater good. I'm actually glad, in a way. You're a better mammal than we are. How did Nick handle things?"

"He watched me like I was a monster, until I put the gun down," Judy admitted. "I think the idea of me killing Rolen in cold blood was almost worse for him than us breaking up. He didn't talk about it at all. The only thing he would talk about was the cuff on Rolen."

"Of course he was horrified. He sees you as his white knight in a world of grey… Wait, cuff? Explain."

Judy looked up again, the worry replaced with confusion. "He's got an ankle cuff, loaded up with explosives and a radio transmitter. I'd assumed the ZBI put it on him."

"No, not us," Skye replied, staring at the fence and letting her arms drop. This was certainly an odd development. "Ursians use ankle cuffs like that to keep dangerous criminals obedient, without jailing them. Rolen's father, Marius, actually insisted on his rivals wearing them to maintain loyalty. The ZBI's attempt to end the Ursius line involved buying off his enemies, which included disabling the cuffs so they could stand against him. They obviously betrayed us, but if Rolen has an ankle cuff…"

"They don't trust him, do they?" Judy inquired, perking as she reasoned her way through it. "He's not taking over again, at least not yet. He gave a big speech about his regent. Any idea what that was about?"

"I do," Skye answered, standing quickly. "It means Rolen's being manipulated as a figurehead, while someone else pushes the war forward. You may have saved us years of trouble by not killing him. If you had, we'd have left, assuming the job was finished. We need to get to Rolen and find out what's going on. Good work!"

Judy beamed as she stood, and they headed back down the ladder in a hurry.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.5 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday Early Evening – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

"Burn them already!" Skye yelled at Nick, waving her arms frantically. "This isn't up for debate!"

Judy sat between the two factions, wondering if she had gotten herself in far deeper than expected this time. On one side, Skye, Harry, and the most of the mammals who were in hiding within the cellar all sat, glowering. On the far side, Nick and Delgato were holding the journals hostage, while Nick paged through them. In the middle, Judy and Spetz had been forced to be the voices of reason, trying to figure out why Skye was so hell-bent on destroying the journals, and why Nick was so vehement that they needed to be saved. Against one wall, only two mammals had chosen to stay out of the discussion—Carl Cannus and Cyndi, the fossa—who were more interested in sharing their lives' stories and looking almost too cuddly for Judy to tolerate.

The conflict had broken out the moment they had returned, when Skye saw Nick attempting to hide the journals. She had grabbed for them, which in turn led to a brief scuffle and the most embarrassingly incompetent slap-fight Judy had ever seen between Nick and Skye, before they had descended into shouts. Twenty minutes later, they still had not stopped yelling.

"Do you even know what's in these?" Delgato roared back at Skye. "We've been looking at these less than an hour, and I'm seeing research into something that nearly killed my father, and supposedly doesn't have a cure."

"These don't have the cures to anything!" Skye replied, pacing, but staying to one side of Spetz and Judy. More than once, Judy warned her to stick to her side, or she and Felix would put her on the ground. "I've read all of them. I won't claim to understand much of it. The important thing is that we can't let Rolen have—"

"A cure to fatal diseases, or the research leading up to it?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked up. "For once, I'm on Rolen's side. Crazy asshole bear or not, I don't see the harm in him having medical research. I'm more bothered that we weren't using it."

Judy groaned and covered her eyes, wishing she could leave. As soon as she stopped looking, she heard Skye march across the dirt floor, only to be stopped by Spetz.

"Back down!" warned the leopard, blocking her as Judy dropped her paws. "This isn't settled. Until it is, you aren't going to escalate this into a brawl."

Skye bared her teeth, staring down Spetz, despite being half his size. "Afraid I'll win? I order you to step aside."

Spetz laughed and crossed his arms. "Try me, Snow."

Snarling, Skye backed down, returning to pacing on her side of the room. "We aren't using that information because we couldn't make sense of it when it was discovered. Medical research has come a long way since then, and we have been releasing more to the public each year. What matters right now is that someone here could pervert that research and use it to _create_ those diseases, or worse. How fast would we lose the support of our mammals if he weaponized mange, or something far far more deadly?"

Beside Skye, one of the otters looked up and asked, "I know you're from the north, but where exactly? You talk about home like you've seen a whole different world."

Skye pointed at Nick, glaring. "This is your fault, Nick. You want to spill the information, or should I?"

Nick smirked at Skye in a way that Judy knew all too well. He had expected this outcome and was happy with not having had to do the legwork himself. "Feel free. I'll just keep reading over here."

Before Skye could reply, Judy saw movement near the entrance to the cellar, and looked to her left to find Katrina standing in the hall, with Markus at her side. Judy still had not heard a sufficient explanation for what was going on with the rest of the team, or why they were in the house, but even she could pick up on something off between the tigress and Fangmeyer. If she had to guess, they had finally managed to find some common ground and end their own fighting.

"Oh, this should be good," Katrina said, making Skye jump. "Honesty from a fox. That would be new." To Judy's surprise, Markus leaned closer and whispered something. Katrina glowered, but added, "That was harsher than I meant. Please, go on. I'm actually curious what's going on within my own home, and how that relates to Rolen's return."

As Skye looked around at her audience, several of the mammals moved closer, boxing her in, while giving her eager expressions. The vixen was all but trapped until she spilled everything. Angrily, she glared at Nick, even though he did not acknowledge her.

Glancing over at Spetz, Judy nodded toward Nick, then cocked her head, essentially asking, "Is it okay if I go?" Spetz stared at her a few seconds, then motioned toward the far corner of the room, where no one was sitting. He then quickly nodded toward the two groups, and patted his chest. He would take care of things, if she needed to go.

Clasping her paws to signal her appreciation, Judy got up and went over to Nick, grabbing him by the wrist before he could object. When he tried to hold onto the journal in his lap, she took it from him, passing it over to Delgato as Nick got to his paws.

"What's up, Fluff?" he asked, even as she tugged him away from the others.

"Time to talk, before this gets any worse." She took him over to the corner, then sat down in front of him, prompting him to do likewise. Nick settled in, watching her intently. "You've been watching me like I beat you all day. What's going through your head?"

"Nothing shocking," he said, snorting. "Just feeling like I've been kicked in the sack by a certain bunny because she thinks I'm sleeping my way to the top of the ZBI."

"If I thought that, I wouldn't have been nearly so nice about it, Nick. Might I remind you that I caught you two naked together? You know I don't take that sort of thing well. Jackie or Arlene, maybe, but not me. I freak out at the idea of being naked. You naked or almost naked with someone else…it's not easy. You're lucky I didn't turn into a blubbering mess on the spot."

Nick studied her face, as though debating his wording. "I know, Carr…Judy. I'm sorry for anything you have to put up with on this trip. I'm a dumb fox sometimes, and don't always know when it's best to throw caution to the wind and refuse to do what they ask of us for the sake of you and me. There's nothing at all between her and I. I love you, and I won't ever do anything to intentionally hurt you."

"I'm aware," she told him, taking his paw in hers. The warmth in her chest just from that simple touch reminded her she was not really ready to call things off, but he did not need to know that. "Nick, I love you, too. I just think we need space when all of this comes between us. There's a lot going on. I recognized a lot of problems when we were apart, and with the stress of having Snow between us, I'm struggling. Put the blame on me."

"Not going to happen, Fluff," he insisted, leaning close, forcing Judy to back off a little. She wanted to maintain some distance between them, and being near him made that far harder. "I made mistakes. I'll take all the blame. You've always been all but perfect. I'm the idiot, and we both know it. Clever, charming, and a little sexy, but still an idiot. What do I need to do to make this right?"

"I don't know. Right now, nothing. I need the time and space to keep from worrying. If you want to make this work—"

"I do, Judy. More than I can put to words."

"—we can get into that when we get back home, as I've already said. Nick, I do love you. Between now and the moment we set paw back in our apartment, I want you to think on a few things. First, you need to understand that I may not live as long as you do, assuming we stop putting ourselves in danger. I may be younger than you, but foxes still live longer."

"Judy, I don't care if you live a century or a day," he told her, squeezing her paw tightly. "I'll take any time I can get with you. I'll share all I have left with you. You're the only one I've ever wanted to wake up to every day until I die."

Judy winced, wishing this were easier. "Second, you need to consider where you sit on the topic of kits. Together, you aren't having any, and neither am I. I'm fine with adopting, but you need to decide if that's enough for you."

"It is. Trust me, it is," he practically pleaded. "I'm almost thirty-three. That's not young, even for a fox. I wasn't looking to settle down, and I certainly wasn't looking to have kits. Hell, until a month ago, the idea horrified me. Can you imagine little Nicks? I couldn't. Still can't. Tell me what you want, and we'll find a way to work around that."

Judy studied Nick's paw in hers, refusing to look up at the wide and worried eyes she knew were waiting like an ambush. "That's the problem. You want so badly to please me, you aren't considering what you need. If only one of us is happy, it won't work."

Nick's mouth snapped shut, as though he were realizing what she was saying.

"Here's a proposal," she said, after a few seconds. "Let's not call this a breakup, and instead call it just a break. We're still together, but we aren't going to act like it. I love you, and you love me. That's the easy part. Right now, we're living apart while we decide what we need from each other. The day we're back in Zootopia, you and I will sit down and go through it all and decide how best to make our differences work."

"I don't need to worry about you hooking up with anyone else?" Nick asked, any sense of calm forgotten as he stared at her.

"No more than I need to worry about you doing the same," she insisted, smirking. "I promise… _promise_ …we will sort this out back home. I just refuse to be working through these problems here. Understand?"

Lowering his muzzle so he could stare at the floor, Nick nodded. "I really do understand. It doesn't seem fair, finding the person I want to spend my life with, then having her put me in time out, but I do understand. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

Judy leaned forward and kissed the bridge of his muzzle. "Thank you. You shouldn't be waiting more than a few days at this rate. That you're willing to put up with this, and not just put up with my weirdness means a lot. You're too good to me."

"Keep that in mind when it comes time for my birthday," he replied, winking at her.

"I will. I promise," she answered, grinning as she nuzzled the side of his cheek. "If you can wait for me, I'll more than make it up to you."

"Don't promise more than you can fulfill, Carrots."

"My sisters traumatized me to no end while you were dead," she responded, putting her forehead to his and looking up at him. "You wouldn't believe what kind of perverted movies they subjected me to."

"Care to share?" Nick asked, ears perking straight up.

"Not until we're home," she answered, grinning mischievously. She had his full attention, and he appeared entirely okay with being manipulated. "If you can put up with my issues, and find it within yourself to sacrifice things like a family, I'll be happy to act them out, even if it makes me want to cry with embarrassment."

Nick stared at her a few seconds, with their foreheads together before replying. "I know it'll probably hurt my reputation, but don't do that. I want you, not some movie-glorified version of you. I swear to you I'll think on what you asked of me, but I need you to think about whether you will be okay with me, too. I've made peace with not having kits. You haven't. I think this is more about what you're worried about, than me. I may talk big, but don't change to be with me. Ever. I chose the obstinate, sly, stubborn, know-it-all, and frustrating bunny. You bend too far to convince me to stay, and you might actually chase me off."

Judy laughed, and put her paw to his cheek. "I love you, you dummy. Now go play your part with your pretend girlfriend."

"You say the sweetest things."

"Oh, shut up, you dumb fox. You know full well Snow is going to ask something ridiculous of us when we go back over there. Want to bet on what it is?"

"Probably expecting us to go back after Rolen," he said, rubbing his cheek against her paw, as though craving the contact. "I'm also betting something goes seriously wrong with the pickup from Milo she said had been set up. Your thoughts?"

"Kidnap Rolen, then Bogo arrests us for interfering in a ZPD matter," she replied, giggling despite herself. "Maybe birds or bugs learn to talk and try to attack the city, just to round out the day."

"Now you're getting caught up in really crazy ideas, like some of the plots of movies I put you through," he said. Judy noticed his free paw was clenched, as though Nick were struggling to keep from reaching up and touching her. The feeling was more mutual than she wanted to admit. "If it's that easy to introduce silly things into a bunny's thoughts, I should have moved on to dirty movies."

"Only if you wanted me to curl into a ball and refuse to let anyone touch me," Judy answered, grinning. "My siblings keep trying that to see if I'll chase down and pounce the next buck I see. Never works out. Tell you what, if we make it back, even if you're not up for acting one out, I promise to make it through a whole dirty movie without hiding under a pillow or blanket, so long as it's just you and me. I won't promise to do it sober."

"I'll take that bet, if only so I can see you squirm and flail about, trying to logic your way through the so-called plotline. Besides, the more you drink, the more charming I get."

"Only in your own mind, Slick."

"That's what matters," he whispered, tongue brushing the edge of her muzzle, making her shiver.

"Stop right there," Judy snapped, putting one paw on Nick's chest to push him back slightly. "When we get back. Not before. No funny business until then."

Nick's eyes narrowed, and Judy wondered if he was trying to look sneaky or mischievous. "Should I take that as a personal challenge?"

"No. Not even kidding. I _will_ kick you if you try something."

The humor faded from Nick's expression, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Fine. I'll pretend like I'm okay with cuddling with Snow. Just to say, Finnick was a better cuddler than her, but not better than you."

"I really don't want to know how you know that, Nick. I'm all for trying everything, but I'd rather snuggle one of my cousins than Finnick."

Nick grinned, clearly baiting her into asking more. Judy knew better, and let it drop.

"Let's try this a different way," Nick finally offered, pushing against Judy's paw, trying to get a little closer. "We're not broken up…we're just on a vacation from romantic things until we get back."

Judy sighed, letting her paw on his chest drift over his fur. "Fine. We're on a vacation and willing to see other mammals until we get back."

"I didn't say anything about other mammals."

"I did, just to keep you from assuming too much," Judy replied, smiling even as he scowled at her. "Push your luck too much, and it's hard to say where this will go. Zippy and Midnight are both looking pretty good."

"Midnight? Really? Okay, fine, he's got a nice tail. He can join us once or twice. Zippy's right out. I refuse to snuggle with Zippy. I won't even promise gentle sex with him. Angry sex is all he gets. That's my final offer."

Judy laughed in spite of herself. Sometimes Nick was too absurd not to laugh at, especially knowing him well enough to recognize he meant none of what he was saying. "I'll let you relay that to them. Can we get back to being professionals now?"

"I prefer to think of myself as a skilled amateur. I've seen those movies, and I just can't compete. I'm more than happy to try, so long as I get to choose the camera angle."

Shaking her head, Judy punched Nick lightly in the chest. "I meant as operatives, not whatever you were thinking."

The two of them sat there a little longer, muzzles nearly touching, but both holding back ever so slightly. Whether Nick understood her concerns or not, he was respecting her decision. That had to be enough for the moment. She could not offer more until their lives were simplified greatly, even if she wanted desperately to put aside her own decisions.

"We should probably pay attention to her again," Nick finally said, touching his nose gently to hers. "Sounds like the lengthy story time finished. Let's hope they don't go all lynch mob on us, if she said something stupid."

Judy raised her ears, listening to the others. Cannus and Cyndi were still discussing their life histories, while Fangmeyer and Katrina whispered a debate about the merits of Snow's ideas. Beyond both pairs, she picked out Snow still talking softly with the other refugees about Zootopia, and all it could offer them. After a few seconds, her ears twitched as she heard someone still paging through the journals—Delgato, most likely.

"You're going to lose on the books," Judy admitted, still watching Nick. "She's right. Rolen or someone else will find a way to use them. I want to take them with us, but if we can't, they need to go."

Nick blinked and stared into her eyes. "Even if they could save our loved ones, or improve life in the city?"

"Even then." Judy tried not to blink, to give him no sense of doubt, even if she did have her own questions. "Can we agree to destroy the journals, if we can't protect them?"

Nick's whiskers twitched, and he put one paw to his chest, smoothing some lumps in his vest. "I promise I'll destroy those three journals, if we can't keep them away from Rolen. Happy?"

"No, but it's as good as we'll get. I'll settle for you not arguing about it."

"I'll find something else to argue about, if not that," he teased, winking. "Are we okay?"

"We're good, Nick," she answered, wishing she could bring herself to kiss him, but since the separation was her idea, she had to stay strong. "Just a little vacation from the seriousness between us. You're still my best friend, and it lets you do what you do best when we get home."

"Con you right out of your clothes?"

Judy glared, realizing she should have seen that coming. "No. I meant being a romantic to help get us back on track, you jerk."

"That's sort of what I said, Fluff."

Sighing, Judy pushed him away, got up, and headed back to the others. Thankfully, the conversation had all but finished, though the otters continued to ask a few questions. Nearby, Delgato was paging through the journal, his brow creased as he appeared to struggle with the contents. At Judy's approach, Skye deferred the questions about Zootopia to Harry, and motioned her over.

"You probably already know what I'm going to say," Skye said, once they had moved a little farther away from the locals. "We need to deal with Rolen, one way or another, before we leave. I, for one, want to know what's going on here. There are too many questions, and I want answers before even considering putting a bullet in that bear. Do I have your support, as well as Nick's?"

"You do," Judy replied without hesitation. "Do you have a plan?"

Skye shrugged. "Yes and no. A lot of this is going to be off the cuff, which you know I despise. I'll have to depend on the ZPD officers to resolve this. All I can do is provide you with the details, then coordinate from outside. Cannus and I will stay behind and attempt to work this out. Fangmeyer will do what he does and set himself up in one of the nearby buildings to cover for you, in case your escape is less than elegant. Much as it pains me to say this, you or Nick are entirely in charge, as you're the only ones who've been inside. Zippy can provide a lot of assistance, given his history working around the region, but he'll be winging it. There's going to be four of you going in. I need to know you can all trust each other."

"I trust my team," Judy said, a little more firmly than she actually felt. There were still some concerns about Harry, but he had gone quite far in alleviating them. "What I don't know is how we're going to get him out of there. Spetz is a lot bigger than us, but he's not moving Rolen."

"Leave that to me." Skye smiled, reminding Judy more than a little of Nick's devilishness. "One or two hours, and we'll send you all out. By then, I'll have the entire plan ready to go. I have ideas, but until I can confirm they'll work, I don't want to go into details."

Judy nodded, then flinched as Delgato whistled loudly.

"We've got a problem," the lion announced, holding up one of the journals. "Snow, Fluff, Nick, you all need to see this."

Moving over with Skye a step behind, Judy stood in front of Delgato as he lay the journal on the dirt floor. He held up one finger to keep anyone from asking, then opened the book to around the middle. There, a chapter contents page indicated the start of experiments on weed and vegetable-killers.

"Oh, that's not something we want him having," Nick thought out loud, shaking his head. "His big campaign claim is that the sheer numbers of prey will wipe out all of the predators' food. One batch of something like that in the burrow, and we're looking at millions starving, and the predators blaming the prey for it."

"My thoughts exactly," Stan replied, turning to the next page.

Where the experiments should have begun, there was instead a stack of fresh paper, shoved into the journal to hide at least twenty pages that were missing. On the top page was scrawled a simple message: _Come talk with me, Wilde. –Rolen_

"Well that just changed everything," Skye said, putting one paw to her head. "So much for having the upper paw in this. As usual, he's ready for us, and we can't easily dart him and run. Those pages could be anywhere. Are all of you up to this? You don't have Bogo or anyone his size around to fight Rolen this time."

Judy and Nick exchanged worried glances, but he gave Judy a quick thumbs-up.

"We can do this," Judy answered for them both. "He knows us, and if he's willing to talk, the rest of you will have it easy. I'd rather negotiate, then try to drag him out of there by force."

"As you wish." Skye let out her breath slowly, as though she had been holding it until getting an answer. "Assume it's a trap. I'll try to plan accordingly. Everyone should rest. This just got a lot uglier. Once we go, there might be no stop to our running until we're out of the country. I'll need more time to evaluate all the ways he's planning to kill us, before we go."

Nearby, Katrina spoke up. "I won't allow you to leave."

Every one of the Zootopians turned to stare at her, and Fangmeyer looked genuinely hurt.

"I won't allow you to run without taking others with you," Katrina continued, giving Markus a confident smirk. She had worried him intentionally to ensure he was paying attention, if Judy was reading her right. "If you leave, you're taking anyone here who wants to go."

"Agreed," Skye offered without hesitation. "However, they need to be ready to move. Anyone who falls behind—including from our people—will not go."

Katrina gave a curt nod, then kept quiet.

With that settled, Judy instinctively turned toward Nick, as he moved to sit by himself off to one side of the room. Much as she wanted to go to him, to snuggle while they rested, she knew that would only confuse the locals, and really make it difficult for Nick to take her request to keep emotional distance seriously. She needed to keep some physical distance, at least for the moment. Looking around, that left her with few choices. Briefly, she considered going over to Harry, who appeared absolutely miserable in a corner, watching Skye, but having him be respectful for one night was not enough to convince her he was safe—especially with Nick so close. It would be asking for trouble. Instead, she went to a vacant section of the room, curled up on the floor, and tried to sleep until Skye was ready.

The next few hours, Judy could not help but watch Nick, no matter how bored he appeared, wishing she did not feel like she had hurt him. The fear of dying at Rolen's paws was very real, and she needed to convince herself they were professionals, and that meant keeping Nick away. As soon as he came close, she wanted to be in his arms, and even protect him from what was likely coming once they approached Rolen again.

 _Be strong_ , she told herself, even as she watched Nick. _It'll be fine once we're back. We'll sit down and figure out how to separate our personal and work lives. It's something we should have done long ago. Bogo's hinted at it often enough, and we should have listened._

At last, Nick bedded down, too. Judy continued to watch him as he settled, only to have their eyes meet in the low light. He gave her a gentle smile, letting her know he was not angry with her and there was no blame. That, finally, was enough to ease her nerves, and she drifted into a troubled sleep.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 6.6 – Rise of an Old Regime

 **August 26** **th** **, Thursday Night – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

Moving slowly and cautiously, the lone figure approached the fence into the Groewl Estate's back yard, watching every shadow for anyone left outside to watch for intruders. He paused every few steps, listening to each sound, but to his amazement, there were no armed guards or patrols. In their position, he would have kept one of the larger predators on the outside at all hours to ensure no one—such as himself—could surprise the criminals hiding there.

He reached the gates on the back fence, where he could smell the rabbit and fox he had seen earlier that day. They had definitely gone inside, which was far from a surprise. He had tracked so many mammals to Katrina's basement hideaway recently that he would have been more surprised if the travelers had not ended up there.

The gate's lock opened with barely a click, and he extended one of his claws to raise the latch. Within seconds, he was in the yard, with the gate closed behind him. Crossing the yard was one of the riskier parts of his infiltration, as the house had several lights near its gazebo that eliminated most of the shadows he would have liked to use for cover. Given the lax security, he had to hope no one was watching too carefully.

The thin intruder eased himself right to the edge of the last shadow and settled onto all fours, his eyes locked on the house windows. He counted until ten, and seeing no one, he dashed across the yard and slid to a stop on the back porch. There, he paused again, listening for anyone calling out or approaching. Either no one saw him, or they were far better at concealing themselves than he was—an unlikely possibility.

He moved next to the back door, where a small flap had been set into the door for the servants to come and go as requested by their masters. Pushing against it, he found that the residents had placed a wooden barrier on the inner side, preventing someone from sneaking in during the night. To his dismay, they had even locked it in place. He would have to find another way in.

Staying low to the ground, he sniffed around the porch, until he found fresh scents that did not seem to have crossed the porch at all. A vixen—arctic fox or similar, whose scent was vaguely familiar—had been in the gazebo, without entering the yard by the gate or porch, and had spent time with the female bunny there, though the bunny had come in through the gate. Strangely, the rabbit's scent stopped at the gazebo.

He slunk into the gazebo, where longer shadows helped conceal him, as the lighting was meant to keep anyone from approaching the gazebo, not to reveal those within. There, he double-checked the scents, confirming his initial assessment. The vixen had sat on the edge facing the gate, but there was no trail going anywhere else.

Rising onto his hind paws, he stared at the gazebo for a bit, trying to find where the hidden entrance was. He knew it had to be there, and was a bit disappointed in Major Ursa for never having found it in all of her searches. Within five minutes, he pressed the pads of one paw down on a section of boards the warped slightly different from the others, and heard a satisfying echoed creak.

With as much care as he could muster, he opened the hidden door, exposing a ladder that led down under the home. If he took that route inside, he knew there was no chance of escaping notice if they had guards of any kind, but the rest of the house was being watched by Ursa and her troops, limiting his options. He wanted to leave, to let the outsiders go about their business, but he needed to see them for himself. He had to know more about them and why they were in the Ursian lands.

 _Curiosity always was my bane_ , he mused, climbing into the passage down. He tested each rung of the ladder with his toes to ensure they would be quiet. _One rabbit and two foxes. I can handle that many. Can't let Katrina see me, though. She'll recognize me from around town and ruin my mission._

He soon reached the bottom of the ladder and flattened against one dirt wall, alternating between ears and nose to check for anyone nearby. Finding none, he shook his head sadly at the failure to protect themselves, and started down the hall ahead of him. That wound around for a short distance, until a light ahead warned him he was nearing his destination. He slowed and clung to the walls, using the shadows to inch ever closer.

The hallway ended at a rough-hewn room, supported by old beams and lit by a pair of lanterns. He peeked around the beam at the end of the hall, seeing a family of otters sleeping in the shadows a short distance from one lantern.

 _Phil and Emma Seacrest_ , he noted, and verified all of their children were with them. _Failed business created enough debt that Phil is owned by creditors. The children were sold to pay his debts, and now he and his mate are wanted for theft, because they ran off before the children could be collected. Harmless. If this becomes a fight, they can all be ignored._

He listened to the snoring in the room, and picked out far more mammals than the otter family. Knowing if he stuck his head out any farther, he might be seen, he reached into the small backpack he wore and took out a mirror. Lowering himself to the dirt floor, he slid the mirror out as far as he dared, being careful to keep from reflecting the lantern light back at any of the sleeping animals.

The first one he saw in the room after the otters was a male lion, who was paging through an old Zootopian research journal. He could see that the lion had a handgun lying on the floor beside him, which marked him as the first legitimate threat, and a likely personal guard of Katrina's. Should a fight erupt, the lion had to go down quickly.

Tilting the mirror a bit more, he spotted a serval, curled up and sleeping by himself.

 _Ashton Mewl_ , he thought, smiling. _Absolute coward, who isn't wanted for anything. Paying to get himself out of the area, lest he get forced to do military service._

He shifted again, this time seeing the fossa female, though he could not recall her name or profile, which he chided himself for. Beside her was a wolf male, with his hind paw in a cast. He did not know who the wolf was, either, but he was distracted stroking the back of the fossa's neck. The wolf likely would not know there was an intruder until it was too late, despite having one of the better senses of smell in the bunch. Near them, a leopard lay, pretending to sleep, but actually watching the wolf.

 _Oh, that's a love triangle if I ever saw one_ , he told himself, smirking. _Horrible place to be for that. Hope they sort it out one way or another._

To see any more of the room, he had to put himself partway into the room, where someone with good enough night vision might see his head and arms. Thankfully, no one looked up as he moved.

The next group he spotted was a white vixen—by smell, he concluded she was the same one who he had picked up in the back yard—with a male rabbit beside her. She was watching the rabbit intently, and before he moved his mirror again, he saw the vixen reach out to touch the rabbit, then pull her paw back nervously.

 _Don't know the rabbit_ , he thought, staring at the reflection of the vixen long and hard, and then the rabbit. _Why the hell would they send her back down here? She's scared of something. The rabbit might actually be her friend. His scars…whip lines. Seen that too many times. Lucky to be alive. Not sure why Katrina would have him down here with the preds, though. Something strange about this. Will need to see if I can scare Skye into heading north before things get too ugly here._

He pushed the mirror out into the room itself, where it would be easily visible if someone looked his way. This allowed him to see the last two mammals in the room.

The female rabbit was closest to him, and a sniff let him know she was the one he had followed earlier in the day. There were no visible scars on that one, at least from behind, where he lay. That meant she was either obedient, or had not been a slave long. Given that she was with Skye, there was one other option.

 _Zootopian_ s, he guessed, eyeing the lion, wolf, and leopard again. _That would explain a lot. Never knew Katrina to hide foreigners. Something doesn't add up here. The last time, the city sent ZBI agents. These buffoons were too easy to track. Can't possibly be ZBI. Military? Hired paws? Maybe Katrina's hired animals to help her smuggle the preds out of here. Too many questions, not enough answers._

He almost pulled back the mirror, but then realized he had missed one mammal. Lifting the mirror a bit so he could see over the female rabbit, he found that there was another fox—a red male—just past her. The fox watched the rabbit with his eyes so close to closed that it would be easy to overlook that he was awake. There was a longing in his expression.

 _He either loves her or wants to eat her_ , he noted. _Either way, not my problem. He's just another of Katrina's castoffs from society who needs to get out of the region._

He tried to make himself leave, but he could not take his eyes off the resting foxes. Though he knew Skye, the other seemed a touch too familiar. Suddenly, the contemplation shattered and scattered when the male fox sat up, staring in his direction. He had been seen, or almost seen.

Turning, he dashed for the ladder and made his way back up into the yard, trying to stay silent the whole way. There, he tumbled into a large bush near the gazebo and slowed his breathing. He had been careful not to touch much in the yard, so he might be able to avoid the fox's sense of smell, if he did not get too close.

Seconds later, the male fox came up into the yard, sniffing and looking around. In one paw, he held some form of dart gun, which he appeared comfortable wielding. He had training and that made him dangerous, even if the weapon itself was unfamiliar.

 _Another Zootopian. Lovely. Go back to bed_ , he thought, watching the fox pad through the yard. _You imagined it. No one out here. Forget I was here! Let me get away with my one slip-up._

After two full circuits around the yard, the fox stopped at the gate. Touching the handle with one finger, he then sniffed his pad. Even from across the yard, the narrowing of his eyes was visible to someone used to working at night.

 _He knows I was here. There's no more doubt about whether he saw me. Shit. That was sloppy. Here's hoping he decides I escaped._

The male fox made one more pass around the yard, then went back down the ladder.

 _Far too close_ , he chided, slipping from the bushes and heading out the gate as fast as he could. _You're getting careless. Better to stay far away from that group. Let them keep their cover for now. When they try to leave the city, maybe then it'll be time to pay them a surprise visit._


	7. Chapter 7

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.1 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 27** **th** **, Friday Dawn – Central Plaza, Northern Ursian Lands**

"I've got eyes on the patrol," Carl whispered through static in the earpiece Nick wore. With only two earpieces and one radio left out of their gear, they had been forced to assign one mammal to relay what Carl saw to the others, and Nick had been volunteered. "In ten seconds, you should have an opening. It won't last long, before the next group can see you. Maybe twenty seconds at best."

"Stay still until I give the signal," Nick told the others, as he leaned against the side of the building, trying to look no more conspicuous than a fox already would. "Next patrol is passing in a few seconds. We'll have to run."

Looking up, Nick searched the upper-balconies of the nearby homes, soon spotting the tip of Fangmeyer's rifle hidden among flowers on one. Up there, he and Skye were going to do everything in their power to keep those with Nick safe, with Markus picking off any targets outside, and Skye firing on anyone that came after him. It would have to be enough, and everything else depended on Nick's team not making any mistakes. They had the second earpiece, which meant they could hear Cannus's reports, but not reply to anyone. The setup was far from ideal, but it gave them a slight chance of success.

A small group of soldiers wandered past, rounding a section of wall, which cut off their view of the building's wide yard.

"Now," Nick hissed, motioning to Judy, Harry, Stan, and Felix.

The four took off a split second later, having been poised to move. To Nick's surprise, Felix accelerated even faster than Judy, reaching the far wall a second before her, flattening out against the wall alongside the keypad they intended to use to get into the basement. Judy, then Harry, Stan, and well after, Nick, arrived beside Felix with about eleven seconds left before they could not abort and run away.

As Nick got joined the others, Felix began typing on the keypad. A faint buzz let him know the code was not accepted.

"What's the problem?" Nick whispered, as Spetz continued typing. "I thought you had the combination."

"So did I," Felix replied, getting another buzz from the pad. "Markus might have hit the wolf a little too hard, and we weren't sure if the last digit was a six or a seven. His tongue was pretty swollen by that point, and he was delirious."

"Try it both ways!" Harry piped up, him and Judy both bouncing on their toes, as though struggling to keep their anxiety in check.

Spetz turned slowly to glare at Harry. "I'm not stupid. I tried both. Two, nine, four, one, nine, and then either six or seven. Neither works."

Nick tilted his ears and heard the next patrol coming. They only had a second or two left before the soldiers would have a chance to see them. There was no longer enough time to run.

Cocking his head, Felix leaned close to the keypad and sniffed several times. He then smiled, and punched in another combination. This time, the pad gave a lighter beep, and the door popped open. One by one, they rushed into the room beyond, closing the door quickly behind Nick, as the sound of marching paws outside got closer than he would have liked, then continued on away from them.

"Okay, what was your trick?" Nick asked, once he was certain no wolves were about to come rushing in.

Spetz shrugged. "The one we caught said the password had been the same for months. Only some of the keys smelled like wolf paws and a poultry stew. I've gotten good at checking whether Carl's been messing with my things over the years, so picking out the ones some wolf has been touching too often was easy. After that, I guessed."

"Good enough for me," Nick replied, intentionally cutting off Judy, who had one finger up as though about to start a lecture. There was no time for that. "Stan, lead the way. I want out of here as fast as possible."

Delgato nodded curtly, and smoothed his stolen military uniform. During the night, Katrina had enlisted several of the house servants to tailor the uniforms he and Spetz wore to ensure they looked a little more appropriate, and Nick did have to admit he looked the part. The lion set off down the hall, with Spetz right behind, and Nick, Harry, and Judy following a few extra steps behind.

"Two halls, then a right," Stan said over his shoulder, leading them past nearly a dozen doors. "There will be stairs, which lead up close to his room, assuming they haven't moved him since you last saw him."

Nick kept quiet, following as Stan took them down the hall as described, right up to a narrow staircase, which spiraled up. The lead predators hurried as best they could in the tight space, and Nick made a point of taking up the rear, watching for any soldiers who might have spotted them coming in.

Soon, the five of them passed the first floor, and a few seconds after that, reached the second. There, Stan and Felix moved out into the main hall, and Nick slid past Judy and Harry to check whether any of the rooms looked to be the one he had seen the day before. No sooner did he exit the staircase, then Nick found himself sliding to a stop beside his fellow officers, who were motioning frantically to stay back as a group of five armed soldiers confronted them.

"What's your business here?" asked a burly panther, eyeing Spetz and Delgato warily. He looked at Nick, scowled, and then past him to Judy and Harry. The four other soldiers readied their weapons. "What's with the fox? No one's supposed to be up here."

Before Nick could even come up with a plan of his own, Spetz reached down and caught him by the scruff of the neck, forcing him to the front of the group. "This fox? Rolen wanted to have words with him. I think the runt yelled something at the speech yesterday. Don't know and don't care what the warlord wants with him. I'm just doing what I'm told, and hoping I don't have to clean up after."

The panther's attention locked onto Nick, who squirmed and tried to maintain an appearance of utter terror—not difficult while being faced by armed soldiers. "What a stupid little rodent. Yeah, let the warlord deal with him. What's the story with the servants?"

This time, Delgato turned part-way to glance at Judy and Harry, whose heads were down. "Them? I didn't ask. Told them the warlord wanted to see this fox, and they followed us."

"To clean up the mess, master," Harry meekly answered. "The warlord does not like blood stains to dry on his room's walls."

Beside Harry, Judy nodded frantically with her eyes glued to the floor.

"Go on, and don't tell anyone we let you through," the panther replied, rolling his eyes. "The regent wants this floor empty, but Rolen still gets his way. Make it fast."

Spetz all but picked Nick off the floor, and the group rushed past the soldiers without any further delays.

"Nick, we've got a large car rolling up on the building," came Cannus's voice in Nick's ear.

With no way to reply, Nick kept quiet, pointing his muzzle toward the door he was certain was Rolen's. Delgato led them to it, then the group gathered up, with Spetz and Delgato both drawing pistols.

"I don't know who they are," Cannus went on. "Big gray bear with an armed escort. He's dressed in an imported Zootopian suit, and the car looks like it might be armored. Someone seriously important. The soldiers are saluting him."

Nick turned as best he could with his neck still being held by Spetz. "Harry. Gray bear with personal guard, an armored car, and wearing a suit. Any ideas?"

Harry's eyes went wide, and any nervousness he had been faking was abruptly replaced with actual fear. "Yes. We need to move quickly. That's Otto Bristlefur. Rolen's father used him to put down rebellions. If anyone's the acting regent here, it's him. He won't negotiate. He'll kill us all and ask questions later. He might kill everyone in the building for having seen us. The ZBI has been trying to put him in a shallow grave for twenty years, and failing. He's the brutality to Rolen's wiles."

Delgato did not wait for a decision to be made. He quickly opened the door to Rolen's room, all but shoving the group inside before closing it behind them and locking it.

The bedroom was much as Nick had seen it the day before, though this time, Rolen sat on the edge of his bed, eyes closed, and paws clasped in his lap, as though lost in meditation. When the door shut with a thump, he smiled and opened his eyes.

"I wondered if my message would be seen," the bear said softly, his long white fangs catching the morning light from the window as he adjusted his weight. He gave the two pistols aimed at him a brief glance, then appeared to disregard them. "One ZBI trainee and his escorts. I expected better from your department, Harry. I knew you and your pet fox would come after me, but I thought I would see an entire ZBI contingent, rather than a few stragglers from the ZPD. Not that I'm anything less than pleased to see Hopps and Wilde again, but the ZBI is truly disappointing me. Next time I summon you, send everyone you have available."

Before Nick could react, Delgato leapt onto Rolen, punching him in the face and neck. The bear rolled backward, and they tumbled off the other side of the bed, snarling and fighting for control. To Nick's surprise, Rolen did not put up much of a fight, and instead raised his paws defensively, which brought Stan back to some semblance of calm. Slowly, Rolen wiped blood off his muzzle and smiled up at the lion.

Nick pulled away from Spetz, and moved into the room with Harry and Judy at his sides. "There's no time for this. Give us one good reason not to put you down after what you did in Podunk. I'll happily let Stan do the honors, and I doubt he'll regret it for an instant."

"I can give you thousands of reasons." Rolen's grin gave no hint of concern whatsoever, despite Delgato's closed paw hovering over his nose. "One for every life your precious city will lose if Otto is not stopped. The bomb was my idea, but not my actions. That was sloppy. He was showing off. I think you know by now, I don't do things merely for show. Had I been in charge of that, the bomb would have been placed at the downtown train station around noon. Less death, more chaos and fear. Otto merely wants to see bodies stack up. The lion's reasons for killing me are legitimate, though. His mate's blood is on my paws."

Harry was the next to pipe up, somewhat surprising Nick. "We know you don't have more bombs, so try again. The best we can expect from Otto is to march an army on the city, which won't end well for him. If I were you, I'd start haggling for my life."

Nick stared at Harry in shock. "We know he doesn't? When were you going to share?"

Rolen ignored Nick entirely. "I don't need to negotiate. I have something you need, and you have something I need. This is a simple trade, with an additional caveat that the officer sitting on my chest stop hitting me."

"What are you offering?" Harry asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Take too long, and the officer gets to resume."

"The journal pages I took." Rolen motioned toward the windowsill, where the journals had been the last time Nick had been in the room. "You have the part containing information on cross-species viral infections, but I have all the information needed to decimate prey food supplies for generations. I will admit it would take my mammals a few years to turn that into something usable, but it will happen if they work on it."

"Not good enough," Harry countered, shaking his head hard enough to flop his ears. "Show me the pages and identify where any copies are, and we'll spare you for now."

Rolen's chuckle was deep and Nick could feel it, as well as hear it. "You are in no position to negotiate, bunny. I know you did not finish your training with the ZBI, and their leash tends to be very short. My guess is you will have no authority to promise anything from a jail cell. You did, after all, break multiple international laws by invading my lands. No declaration of war, no invasion. Close your mouth and let the adults talk. Maybe you will learn something the ZBI failed to teach you." Harry's anger was palpable, and Spetz and Judy grabbed him, pulling him away as Rolen continued to gloat. "Judging by what I learned during my last vacation to the north, Hopps here is likely the most capable negotiator, and the one mammal here all the others will listen to. I choose not to debase myself by trading with mere slaves, whether they know they are slaves or not. Wilde, you proved yourself competent, and are the closest thing Hopps has to a proper owner. Care to take over for the ZBI?"

Nick looked around at the others, finally settling his attention on Judy. She gave him a worried stare for several seconds, then a very slight nod.

"Tell us what you want, and we'll discuss whether it's going to happen," Nick said, returning his gaze to the bear who had nearly killed Judy, himself, and his mother all too recently. Calm was not easy. "Make it quick."

"Yes, because you will be found out soon, otherwise," Rolen explained. Though the motion appeared casual, Rolen brushed at the fur on his neck where Nick had bitten him weeks earlier. It was partially-healed, with scabbing over much of the flesh. Not too subtle of a reminder. "I want safe passage out of the region. My underlings are turning on me. They see me as having failed, and are attempting to all claim the throne. I want none of this. This is not a warrior's death."

"A jail cell in Zootopia for the next twenty years or more isn't going to be one, either," Nick snapped.

"No, it would not be. However, we both know I will be working on an escape plan. You can jail me, and work to keep me there, or you can leave me here and watch the war happen. Would you rather I be under the ZPD's eyes, or hidden away in a cell here, helping guide the course of the war?"

"What do we get out of taking you with us?"

"The pages," Rolen answered, gently shoving aside Delgato's fist. "Disease and pestilence is not my way. I prefer to see my foes dying in front of me. I'd rather the pages be in your paws, than Otto's. That said, you will need to do a little more for me as part of this bargain."

"We haven't agreed to anything yet."

"No, but you will. I want safe passage to the city, but will not resist arrest once there. You get your petty revenge on me for all I've done to your fellow officers," his attention swept over Harry and Delgato, then back to Nick, "and other groups. You claim the glory for taking me down. You justify all you have done and crush those who belittle your species. In exchange for all of this, I give you the pages and tell you where the only other copy is."

"I'm not in it for glory. You'd better supply that information quickly. If we're caught here, we're killing you before we go."

Rolen snorted and shrugged. "Doubtful. You need me, as I need you. I have one copy of the pages hidden away, which will be yours once we are out of Ursian lands. The other copy, you must find and destroy. Do that for me, and I will follow you all the way back to Zootopia in chains. That's it. That's all I ask."

Beside Nick, Harry grumbled, "We can't negotiate with him, Nick! I won't!"

"If he speaks again," Rolen began, giving Harry a disgusted glare, "I will add one more term to my request. He will be served to me on a platter with garlic and onions. Keep him quiet, as is his place, and we can settle this as one predator to another. I would barter with the other two, but I can see the way they defer to Hopps, though it appears you submit to her, rather than defer. That leaves me only you I can or will negotiate with, Wilde."

Nick smirked, somewhat amused that even Rolen could figure out the power-dynamic between him and Judy, even if she did not yet believe it. "You're giving me incentive to make Harry keep talking. Let me clarify…you want transportation out of the region, no matter the results when you get to Zootopia? In exchange, you give us all copies of the information you got from the journals?"

"Precisely," Rolen answered with a dignified tilt of his head. "You will not attempt to kill me, as part of the transportation, of course, as I did say _safe_ passage. I expect that passage to remain safe until my trial. Then, I am well aware it is out of your paws. I do anticipate that the mayor will make attempts on my life in prison, but that is not your concern. I can handle myself in an enclosed space rather well."

"Safe passage to the city, and we get every copy of the journal information?" Nick repeated back, intentionally keeping his smile hidden.

"To Zootopia. Safe passage to Zootopia. I have dealt with foxes before, Wilde. Don't insult me. Might I remind you Silvia was my property?"

Nick's stomach twisted painfully as thoughts of what Rolen had done to her came to mind. As much as he wanted to turn this into a playful game of who would get the upper-paw in haggling, the fact was Rolen could and would kill without remorse.

"You will get safe passage to Zootopia, with no assurance of what will happen when you arrive," Nick replied, no longer feeling the joy of negotiation. This bear had ruined one of his greatest joys in life. "You will, in turn, avoid any opportunity to harm anyone on my team, and will freely and without further debate provide us with the journal copies. You told me before you are a mammal of your word. Swear to those exact terms, or no deal. We walk."

Rolen stared up at the ceiling past Delgato as he appeared to contemplate. "I had wondered if you would add the prohibition on killing you or your companions. Most forget simple things such as that. The vagueness of the arrival terms concerns me, but I don't believe we are in a place to debate further. I swear by my ancestors to adhere to these terms to the best of my ability, though the journal will need to wait until we are out of here. You now likewise promise."

Behind Nick, Spetz hissed to get their attention. When Nick looked back, he found the leopard pointing at the door, then holding up fingers to indicate six—six soldiers, he reasoned.

"I swear it," Nick repeated, though a little voice in the back of his mind laughed at the idea of anyone taking a fox's oath for more than idle banter. "That promise doesn't do us much good if we can't get out of here."

"That's your problem, not mine," Rolen answered, reaching up to the nightstand and pulling out the handgun Judy had nearly taken during their last visit. Delgato grabbed his wrist, and Spetz drew his pistol. Rolen smiled and adjusted his grip so it was clear he did not intend to fire. "If they get in here, I will subdue all of you and play the part of the would-be victim. You have until that door opens to find another way."

Without a word, Delgato plucked the gun from Rolen's paw. The annoyed stare from the bear left little doubt he had a few choice words in mind for Stan.

"I've got this," Harry told them. He ran to one side of the room, where the wood paneling appeared slightly warped from the sunlight coming in the main window. "Servants' entrance in every room. They don't like us to be in the main halls of any building. This place is old enough it's got to have at least one way in for a slave."

At the door, Spetz readied himself for a fight. Joining him, Judy dragged a chair to the door and wedged its back against the handle, buying them a few seconds. Once she had it placed, she backed away, likely to get out from under paw.

"Found it," Harry announced, swinging open a large paneled door. "Looks like it hasn't been used in years. Hope no one has a problem with dust."

"I'm far more allergic to bullets than dust," Nick said, waving the others toward the door. "Go!"

Harry led the way into the narrow hallway, with Judy following, then Rolen, who had to turn sideways to fit. Nick dove into the dark hall right after Rolen, wishing for all he was worth that he did not have to be within sight of the bear, let alone inches from his claws and now beholden to his terms. Behind him, Spetz and finally Delgato slid into the hall, with Delgato pausing only briefly to close the door. Once it clicked shut, there was no light whatsoever, leaving Nick surrounded with grunts, shuffling paws, and the sound of fur being ground against cement walls.

"Not much farther," whispered Harry from somewhere ahead of Nick. "Keep coming. I'll let you know if there are any steps."

Nick walked slowly, trying to give Rolen time to move, but wound up walking fully into the bear's leg. Wincing, he held his breath a moment, and to his relief Rolen did not strike at him.

"These tunnels were not built for bears," grunted Rolen, as Nick heard his clothing snag on the walls. "When I return to power, I intend to require all servants' halls widened. You never know when you need an escape route, and these seem ideal otherwise."

"You aren't out of here yet, and you certainly aren't on your way back into power," Judy said from somewhere ahead. "It'll take all our efforts just to keep Stan from ripping your head off. Besides, you're about five minutes from having your leg blown off if we don't find a way to disable that ankle cuff."

Nick froze, and stared at the shadows moving ahead of him. He had not even considered the ankle cuff. "What's the range on that thing?"

"Five miles from any transmitter," Rolen answered calmly, continuing down the hall. "In essence, once we reach the border, it's no longer a concern, though Otto could conceivably send a small plane with a transmitter after us. I'm not concerned."

"How are you not concerned?" Nick demanded, rushing to catch up. "We're all going to get blown halfway to the border when they find out you aren't in your room!"

Rolen chuckled and continued walking. "You overestimate their power over me. Right now, they need me to prove their claim to the throne. No Ursius, no title. Claiming my lands without me will require a great many wars. Additionally, they know I have the information from the journal, so they will want that back. I expect we have several days before they are confident enough to set off the explosives."

"That's not reassuring."

"It was not meant to be," Rolen replied. "Besides, I've disabled the GPS on the cuff. They cannot determine my location. That will add further doubt. If you can get me some thin metal foil, I can also reduce the range from which it can pick up a transmission, too. A mile, maybe less. You merely need to find that by end of day, and I doubt we have much to worry about."

Nick shook his head, thankful for the lack of visibility. "You're awfully confident you'll get away."

"I have to be," Rolen said, still shuffling along ahead of Nick. "I am the last of my line. All the world is my enemy. Zootopia destroyed my family and my future. My own government is seeking to control and eventually kill me. In this situation, you have two choices: Lay down and die like prey, or stand and fight until you draw your last breath."

"Prey can hear you," Judy grumbled somewhere ahead.

"I am well aware," Rolen replied, and Nick could practically hear the grin.

Reaching out with both paws, Nick found he had fallen a little behind Rolen and hurried to catch up. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't take my advice from a murderer."

"Murderer? That's quite the title." Rolen's snort gave Nick a better idea of how far ahead he was. "I am a soldier. A warrior. Your ZBI killed my parents. I killed them, and made a point of why they should not attack me again. You surround yourselves with other warriors, yet you look at me as a 'murderer' instead of a kindred spirit. I do what must be done without hesitation. You hesitate. I am what you and yours aspire to be, but fail."

"We are _not_ kindred spirits," Judy snapped, and Nick could hear that she had stopped walking. "You beat my brother and his mother. You tried to make me kill Nick. There is no comparison."

Rolen stopped, and Nick almost ran into his backside. Thankfully, it meant Rolen would not accidentally step on Judy. Somewhere behind the group, Nick heard the boom of the door to Rolen's old room being broken open.

Ignoring the approaching soldiers, Rolen asked Judy, "Is there not? Are you going to tell me that your ZPD has not trained you to kill? To defend the lives of your citizens with your own lives? To fight with wild abandon to do what is right? These are the same things I was taught."

"I don't kill innocents!" Judy growled.

Nick nearly fell as Spetz ran into him from behind. They were getting bunched up and losing time, but he knew Judy would have to argue through things or she would never let it drop.

"I do," Rolen countered. "They are not my first choice, but if that is what's required to win the day, you can bet your fur I will kill every single one I find. You aren't thinking big picture, bunny. You fight over laws and morals, which rarely requires a life lost. I fight for the freedom of my lands, the entire future of our government, and my bloodline's rights. Lives will always be lost. Bellwether saw that much. She was willing to snuff out a great many lives to secure a future for prey, take control of the government, and ensure her place in history. You and I might not see things alike, but there are many among your fellow Zootopians who do."

"We're still in the middle of a fortress, surrounded by animals with guns!" Spetz interjected, giving Nick a small shove to get him moving. "If you two want to keep comparing sizes, can we do it when we're somewhere safe? Rolen, shut up. Judy, shut up." The sound of multiple mammals shifting to stare vaguely toward Spetz was unmistakable. "You were all thinking it. Can we go now?"

As if prompted by Spetz, Carl's voice came over Nick's ear piece. "You're humped, if you aren't already running. There are three squads of soldiers on high alert now. Looks like some kind of alarm has gone off. Snow is signaling me that…I have no idea what she's signaling. Did you teach her how to sign? Something something shoot me with a shovel. Are Felix and I the only mammals who learned how to signal with their paws? Oh shit, they're on the move. I hope you can hear me, because it's about to get very ugly in there."

"Not now!" Nick told Rolen and Judy, as they began arguing again. "Felix is right! We need to go! Carl's got eyes on a lot of movement, and it won't be long before they figure out where we are."

Far ahead—hinting he had not bothered to stop with everyone else—Harry called out, "I've found the door into the old servants' quarters. It's barred from the other side. Judy, get up here and help me. We might be able to kick it open."

"There is no time for this," Rolen grumbled, and a huge paw closed over Nick's upper body. He thrashed to free himself, and soon found that Rolen had picked up Judy as well. He carried them quickly down the hall, until Nick was able to smell Harry close at paw. "Where is the door, bunny?"

"Left side," Harry replied, and Nick could hear him move to the far side. "It's metal, but if the bar isn't too solid, we can probably jar it free."

"A metal door does not stop an Ursius," Rolen told them, as he shifted Judy to the same paw as Nick. Being pressed up against her was normally something he dreamt of, but with the combination of a killer holding them, and her recent decision to slow down their relationship, he felt more uncomfortable than anything else. "This will not be quiet."

With a deep-throated growl, Rolen punched the door, throwing all of his considerable weight behind it. The door not only opened, but bent almost in half as it tumbled away from them, into a dimly-lit storage room, littered with broken furniture and shelves.

"My way is faster," the bear told them, putting Nick and Judy back on their paws. "In case you were concerned, I will not kill either of you, unless I have no other choice. I made a promise. I intend to keep it. You can actually trust me, so long as I can trust you."

Once Nick could stand on his own, he looked past Rolen and found both Spetz and Delgato had their pistols aimed at Rolen's back. Slowly, they lowered their weapons, though Rolen did not look back at them.

"This room isn't on the plans Markus gave us," Harry announced, pacing about the room. He was soon joined by Judy, searching for ways out. At a glance, Nick could see only one boarded-up door, and it was far thicker than the last and could have led into the heart of the building for all he knew. "We should be near the outer walls, but that's all I know. That exit could lead anywhere."

Delgato and Nick stayed with Rolen, while the others checked the walls, vents, and even ceiling for any other way out. Everyone froze when a loud creak of a door opening echoed down the hall behind them.

"Do you expect me to resolve this for you, too?" Rolen asked, scowling at Nick.

"By all means," Nick snapped back, motioning vaguely for him to do something. "You know this area better than we do. Make yourself useful, or those promises won't mean much when we get shot. I'm sure Otto will be thrilled to see what you've done with your ankle cuff."

Rolen sighed and gestured for Nick to step aside. He then marched to the center of the room, where he bent down and grabbed the edges of a large metal drain cover. Grunting as he yanked, Rolen ripped the cover away from its rusted fittings.

"This is an old bathing room for the servants," Rolen explained, as he set aside the drain cover. "They begin to stink eventually, so we hose them off when they are no longer tolerable. These drains are large enough to ensure their fur or any other refuse from the room does not clog them, so even I can fit down there. I would have assumed your ZBI contact here would have told you about such bathing drains, but apparently his masters do not care enough to bathe him regularly. I hope you take better care of your property, Wilde."

Judy clenched her paws, but somehow kept quiet, even without Nick's intervention.

"Felix," Nick called out, and Spetz came back around a pile of broken chairs. "Take point down there, and take the rabbits with you. Rolen will be next down, followed by Stan. Once everyone's down, I'll need one of you to close the drain. Rolen, before we go down, break the boards on the other door. I want them to look the wrong direction."

Spetz slid down into the sewer drain without hesitation, while Rolen went to the far door. Judy and Harry waited at the lip of the drain until Spetz reached back up for each of them, helping them down.

"Keep your weapon ready," Nick whispered to Delgato, once Rolen began grunting with each board he ripped away. "You and Felix should stand a good bit apart, just in case he goes after one of you. The rest of us won't even slow him down. Judy could probably kick him in the head for an hour before he cared."

"You more than read my mind," Stan answered. He adjusted his grip on his pistol, then shifted the one he had taken from Rolen so it was within reach with his left paw. "You sure this is a good idea?"

"Not even a little. We were sent here to bring him back. We're doing it, and it doesn't get us killed in the process. I'm going to call that a win. If he makes us fight we're no worse off than expected."

"Excuse me if I don't look at the upside of this until we're home," Stan said, shaking his mane slightly as Rolen ripped the last board off the door. "If he so much as sniffs wrong, I'm emptying my weapons into him, and there's nothing you or Judy can say to stop me. Katrina is _not_ going to be happy about who we're bringing home, and I'm already not happy we're letting him live."

Nick sucked in his breath at that. He had not even considered that they were depending on the good graces of someone, who would not be pleased to see Rolen anywhere near her very illegal smuggling operation. "Any thoughts on Katrina?"

"Yes, but we're being watched."

Nick looked over at Rolen, who stood with his arms crossed over his massive chest, wrinkling his otherwise pristine suitcoat. "Can we leave, or should we wait for them to find us?"

Without Nick's acknowledgement, Rolen climbed down into the drain and disappeared from sight. Nick went next, dropping into the sewer with little more than dampened paws on landing. The room above had apparently been abandoned even longer than he had thought for it to be so dry. Ahead in the dimly lit sewer, Nick could make out Felix, Judy, and Harry waiting, while Rolen hunkered down to fit. Just after Nick moved, Stan dropped down behind him.

While Stan fitted the grate overhead, Nick turned to his fellows. "We need to get back to the surface in a hurry, or they'll find us down here sooner or later. Felix, move as fast as you can. We'll keep those with the best night vision on both ends, so we can keep the others from falling behind. Go!"

A dozen sets of paws came running into the room overhead, the sound amplified by the sewer's echoes. Nick snapped his mouth shut as he heard the first noises, and motioned for Stan to move ahead of him. With Felix leading the way and Nick in the far rear, the group began moving at a decent pace through the sewers.

They pushed on for what Nick guessed to be an hour before he realized he had not heard anything through his earpiece in some time. Reaching up, he went to tap the tiny receiver, but found that it had dislodged itself somewhere along the way, likely when he had jumped down. Cursing at himself for not noticing sooner, he had to keep going, knowing it would be found sooner or later when the soldiers thought to check below ground.

"I've got a ladder coming up," Spetz called over his shoulder, as he stopped far ahead of Nick. Both Judy and Harry ran into the leopard's back, letting Nick know just how bad their night vision was, compared with his or Felix's. "Go up or keep going?"

A distant clatter behind them of a metal drain cover being moved answered that question for Nick.

"Up!" he whispered back.

Felix raced up the ladder, and Nick could hear him fighting with a door or manhole cover.

"Too slow," Rolen muttered, grabbing Felix right off the ladder. Between Nick and the bear, Stan raised his handgun. After Felix's initial panicked flailing, Rolen set him down in the sewer, then reached up and with a single grunt, popped open what appeared to be a metal manhole cover, filling the area with light. "Now, you can go."

One by one, they filed out of the sewer, though Rolen slowed them a little as he worked to squeeze through the narrow opening. Long before any pursuit caught up, Nick was the last of them to reach the surface. No sooner than his tail was out of the opening than Rolen shoved the cover back in place. With a heavy thump of his hind paw, he bent the metal cover, making any pursuit almost impossible.

Nick looked around at their new surroundings, finding that they were in a small alley behind what smelled like a bakery. Thankfully, they were nowhere anyone would have seen them make their escape, and a quick check of the buildings around them let him know they were quite some distance from both the government building and Katrina's home.

"Anyone know the way back?" Nick asked, as everyone turned to look at him. "Don't even pretend me being in charge makes me know my way around town."

"Fine, you aren't in charge anymore," Judy replied, straightening her back. "Spetz, scout the area and find out where we are. Delgato, cover us in case someone finds their way here. Harry, watch the prisoner. Rolen, keep quiet and follow when told."

Felix nodded and ran off, slipping out of the low-fenced area and disappearing.

The bear stared at Judy as though she had insulted him, then sat down, looking toward Nick. "No. I refuse."

Judy's ears wilted slightly. "You refuse to be quiet, or to do as you're told?"

"Either. Both," Rolen answered, moving his backside onto the manhole cover. "Bad enough to haggle with a fox, but I will not be taking orders from food. We are in my lands, and my laws stand. You will keep your mouth shut, bunny. There is a price for speaking out of turn."

Judy turned slightly to stare at Nick, as though unsure what to do. After a second, she turned back to Rolen. "I am not one of your slaves. I represent the ZPD, and I expect your full cooperation if you want our help."

Rolen growled low in his throat, setting Nick's fur on end. "Wilde, you are playing the part of a loyal servant of my lands, correct?"

"I am playing a part, yes," Nick answered warily, unsure where this was going.

"As your warlord," Rolen continued, smiling slightly, "I demand that you strike this servant. Consider that a new addition to my terms."

"Not going to happen."

Alongside Nick, Delgato tightened his grip on his pistol.

"You seem confused." Rolen's smile broadened. "So long as I am the only one who knows where the journal entries are, I can continue to dictate my terms. I will not go against anything already negotiated, but I expect you to act appropriately within my lands. A servant yelling at an Ursius? Imagine if someone were watching. Do as I order, or you will never have the journal."

Nick's knees felt weak as he turned to look at Judy, who watched him with wide-eyed fear. She knew he would never try to hurt her, but she also had never been put in a position where she had so little control over her own life. "You expect me to hit her? Are you insane?"

"Hardly," Rolen replied. "Here, a servant who talks the way she did would be beaten. Either you can strike her, or I will. I won't kill or attempt to kill her, so I am not violating the terms we set forth. Which of us would you prefer to have strike her? It's your move, Wilde."

 _Oh no, this is not how I want this to go_ , he thought, walking to stand between Judy and Rolen. _Please, Fluff, be as good at acting this out as you were with Bellwether. Read my body language. I've got to take the swing, or he'll never let up._

His muscles fighting him, Nick walked up to Judy and very clearly telegraphed a backhanded swing at her. Whether she saw it coming in advance or not, she did not react as fast as he had hoped, and his paw grazed her cheek as she fell hard and rolled, clutching her face as though he had hit her as hard as he could. Tear-filled eyes stared up at him, and she slid a little farther away on the ground. When she lowered her paw, Nick realized that the spot where he had brushed her cheek was where the three narrow scars from a childhood fight marred her fur. Behind him, Nick heard both Harry and Stan gasp, both clearly having thought he would not carry through.

"Thank you," Rolen said, climbing to his hind paws. "Where are we going? I can probably direct us."

Nick dove to Judy's side, attempting to help her up, but she pushed away his paws. As she avoided him, she whispered, "I'm fine. Don't blow the act."

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Nick got back up and rounded on Rolen. "Groewl estate. You know where that is?"

"Of course I do." Rolen looked up at the buildings and sniffed a few times. "We aren't too far. I'm baffled why we would go there, though. They are truly a loyal family. I've dined with the old head of the household, though I heard he passed several years ago."

"Don't ask questions, just start walking," Nick snapped back.

"Calm yourself, Wilde." Rolen's smug grin only further infuriated Nick. "If you think this is the worst I'll come up with, you vastly underestimate me. Keep your friends close, but when you keep an enemy closer, he will find your weaknesses."

Without another word, Rolen turned and began walking, leading the group through the alleys toward the Groewl estate.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.2 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 27** **th** **, Friday Afternoon – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

Judy followed the others as they approached the house, keeping her head low as they worked to keep Rolen out of sight of passersby. Never before had her collar felt quite as heavy as it did then, with her cheek still aching from the slap.

She knew Nick had not wanted to hit her, and saw the swing coming. It was an act, meant to appease their prisoner, and she had certainly gone along with it, but that did not mean it stung any less—physically or emotionally. Nick had hit her, and she had not stopped him or tried to avoid it. She had told him to do whatever he needed to on the mission, but once again she felt as though she had gotten in far deeper than she had imagined. When Nick had pretended to maul her in the museum, he had caused no actual harm to her. Even that had been a bit rough emotionally for her, thinking of someone she cared about attacking with that kind of hatred in his eyes. Now, there was something more for her to worry about, with the pain of the slap lingering in her mind. She could not be upset at Nick for it, but it would be another sticking point in getting things smoothed over once they were home, right behind seeing him eat rabbit meat.

Judy was at the steps to the house before she realized they were there. Blinking, she looked around to make sure she had not fallen behind the others, and found Harry standing at her side.

"You okay?" he asked softly, pulling her aside as the predators went up onto the porch. "You look rattled."

"Stop pretending like you care. After what you two did to us…"

"I can't apologize enough for that," Harry replied, his nervous glances around not going unnoticed. "Hate me all you want, but I just want to know if you are all right. You look like you're in shock."

Dropping her paw from her cheek, Judy nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just shaken. It looked worse than it was."

Harry checked over his shoulder, where the predators were waiting impatiently at the house's side door for Katrina to come and let them in. "Judy, this is exactly why we pushed so hard. Snow has had to hit me, and even really and truly beat me, to make others believe she was not freeing me. Nothing about what we're doing is easy on those involved. I can't even imagine doing this with someone I was genuinely in love with. I'm not asking if you're injured…are you really okay? You two have been acting strange since last night, and I can see you're jumpy about everything he does."

"Not entirely okay," she replied, sighing. "We can talk later. This isn't really the time."

To Judy's great relief, Katrina finally opened the door for Nick and Stan, who were the only ones visible from inside the house.

"You made it back!" Katrina gasped, smiling. "Markus was terribly worried when they got back an hour ago and…" Her words trailed off as Felix shoved Rolen toward the door, and the massive bear fully faced the smaller tigress. She immediately dropped to her knees. "By the bear…my warlord! How may I serve you? I hope these strangers have treated you well."

"None of that," Nick groused, motioning for her to stand, which she did slowly. "Remember that part where we were going after the warlord? Tada!"

Katrina looked between Rolen and Nick with an expression of abject horror. "I…I would never conspire against my warlord. That would be… I am no traitor."

"Please drop the act, my dear," Rolen grumbled, and walked into the house, forcing Katrina to step aside. "Right now, you are aiding your warlord by helping these invaders. Consider this my act of mercy for the year for endorsing whatever it is you planned with them. All I ask in return is housing until I can leave the area."

"Of course," Katrina quickly answered, as the rest of them hurried into the house behind Rolen. "I'm not sure I understand what is happening, but I will serve the warlord in any way I can."

Judy slid into the house behind Harry, nearly getting shut out as Katrina closed the door.

"For now," Rolen replied, brushing his paws over his suit. "I require fresh clothing which is slightly less formal, some metal foil, screwdrivers of varying sizes, and a place where I will not be found. I understand that might be your servants' quarters, but I will accept whatever will keep me hidden. The rodents will need to stay out from underpaw, if that's the best place for me to stay."

Katrina scurried ahead of the group, frantically offering Rolen anything and everything as she led him away toward the servants' wing. Judy watched as Muffin and Midnight dashed through the hall, likely to get all of the servants moved elsewhere.

Right behind Rolen, Nick, Stan, and Felix remained at the ready, clearly expecting the bear to try something, but Rolen appeared to have forgotten them entirely as he studied the home in passing. More than once, he commented on dust or items out of order, as though it were the most natural thing in the world to do when technically a prisoner.

"He believes he's in control," Harry whispered, as though figuring out what Judy had focused on. "He probably is. Katrina might oppose him the rest of the time, but she's not stupid. She'd rather kill us than endanger years of work saving others. This isn't good."

"Nothing we can do about it," she replied, still following the main group, though she backed off a little to give them some more privacy. "What's the plan now?"

Harry shrugged and shook his head. "This is so far out of my control, I have no idea. My guess is that we disarm that ankle cuff, get Milo to setup a rendezvous, then get out of the area. For now, we need to get down to the basement, if our resident murderous bear is going to be in our regular spot. C'mon."

Judy and Harry detoured, taking one of the side hallways that led around to the secret entrance Katrina had showed them the day before. Harry swept open the mirror and they headed inside, closing it behind them as they made their way into the depths of the house. Soon, they emerged in the dimly-lit hideaway still occupied by the serval and fossa, though the otters had departed that morning to avoid being caught with Nick and Skye. This time, Skye and Carl were waiting with the others, and to no surprise for Judy, Cyndi was checking Carl's ankle wrappings.

 _I hope we weren't ever that disgustingly cute_ , she thought, trying to avoid looking at Carl when he began whispering a little too close to the fossa's ear. _If we were, I owe Bogo an apology. I need to ask around some other time and make sure we weren't unprofessional in public._

At their approach, Skye looked up at them, though she quickly locked her attention on Judy, as though watching Harry might make her uncomfortable. A glance over her shoulder let Judy know Harry was doing much the same, looking anywhere except Skye.

Ignoring the conflict, Judy went to Skye and sat down, wishing she had better news to share. Harry went to Skye's far side and sat against the wall.

"Did you get to him?" the vixen asked softly, while smoothing her tail fur. "The serval is attempting to listen in on anything we say, so please be subtle. He cannot quite hear us from here."

"We found our missing friend," Judy offered, peeking around Skye toward the serval. Sure enough, his ears were tilting their direction, and he scowled as though annoyed he could not hear more. "He's upstairs."

Skye turned sharply toward Judy, eyes wide. "You mean you brought proof of…him?"

"No, we brought him. Nick had to cut a deal. Apparently some paperwork got hidden away, just in case. Now, we're taking him with us, and he agrees. Very polite."

"I can only imagine." Skye rubbed at her temples, shaking her head. "You know once we're no longer useful, he will find a way to get rid of us?"

"Of course."

Skye sighed, then patted Harry's arm gently, without quite looking at him. "You both did well. So long as we can leave soon, we might be able to salvage things. I got another call from Milo—which is why our feline friend across the room is so curious now—and he has found transportation. We leave tomorrow evening."

"That's the soonest we could arrange it?" Harry asked, leaning to put himself slightly into the private conversation between Judy and Skye. "Tonight would be better."

"I can't fart out vehicles, Zippy," Skye snapped, and Judy wondered if something had happened between them, given the tone. It felt more like how Skye had spoken to Nick early on. "We go when we can. For now—"

Skye cut herself short as almost two dozen animals came down into the room, led by Midnight and Muffin. Four adult bunnies including the leading bucks, five kits, three rats, four squirrels, and several elk headed straight for an open section of the hiding space, pointedly avoiding the area where Carl, Cyndi, and the serval sat. They quickly began settling in, keeping to a quiet huddle far from the others, despite the size of the room. Once the last of them had taken their places, Muffin pulled an envelope from his vest and ran over to Judy, Harry, and Skye.

"The really large guest had a request," Muffin said, giving a very slight bow to Skye, as he held out the unmarked envelope. "He states that he requires something to drink, which our mistress does not have in stock. He has provided this letter and money to handle it."

Skye and Judy exchanged confused glances, and Skye went back to staring at Muffin. "Servants don't normally go out on their own, and I cannot. I must be escorted at all times."

"His request was quite specific," the brown rabbit insisted, still offering the package. "He stated that the rabbits would be able to, though he was clear he wanted these two, not one of us."

"Collared prey can't—" Skye began, but Muffin practically shoved the envelope into her paws, making something in it jingle. "Fine. We will find a way to handle it."

With Judy and Harry leaning in to look, Skye opened the paper in her lap, dropping a small cloth coin pouch onto her thighs. Opening that, Skye poured out a half dozen coins onto her palm pads. Judy might not know how much each coin was worth, but the numbers on them and sheer quantity, combined with Harry and Skye's wide-eyed expressions, hinted it was quite a bit in total.

"You have to be kidding me," Skye muttered as she held up the note. Flattening it so the others could see, she grumbled softly to herself.

 _I am making an assumption that you three can read. Via either your own abilities to read my instructions, or those of some mammal with at least a basic education, I wish the bunnies to fetch me a bottle of alcohol as noted below. A twenty year Malbec Hurleur should suffice. Given that even our host cannot afford this, I am generously dipping into my own reserves. You will serve me a glass, and we can discuss our new arrangement. The vintner at 1250 Poplar will understand this order. Before your arrival, I did alter the registration on all three of you to ensure you can move openly. You may thank me at a later time, once you have retrieved this bottle for me. Formal approval for your task is below, alongside my seal. –Rolen_

"He gave us the ability to move around without getting arrested…to buy him alcohol?" Judy asked, rereading the note from beginning to end. "And what's a Malbec Hurleur? That's not a wine I know."

Harry and Skye both shook their heads, though Skye looked over a Judy. "Nor do I. The money in here is enough to buy half the city. In our currency, it would be nearly two-hundred thousand bucks. I haven't even seen some of these coin types before. I don't see why we can't do this for him, but honestly I'd rather poison him and move on. There's the chance he's tricking us into leaving our hideout for some reason."

"He's still got pages we need," Judy reminded Skye. "I say we humor him for now. One bottle of wine isn't really a threat, and we've got a day to kill. The others can keep watch over him. Harry and I are slippery. We won't get caught."

Skye reached out and grabbed Judy's wrist, startling her and making her want to roll backward and kick out as memories of Silvia's attack came to mind. "He will have ulterior motives. Assume everything he does is meant to further his own interests, and I don't mean getting a mild buzz."

"That's why you should—" Judy began.

"No," Skye countered, looking over at Harry without releasing Judy's wrist. "Too many mammals around here could recognize me, updated registry or not. Foxes aren't exactly popular. You two need to go. Less attention drawn, and if you are carrying this note, you are safe if questioned. Just stay quiet and do not deviate from your task. I will draw you both a map."

"I can handle this," Harry said, reaching for the note, but Skye moved it out of his reach.

"Fluff, you are in charge," Skye insisted, ignoring Harry completely. "You've handled your emotions today better than others. Keep a level head and hurry back. This should be straightforward, but be ready for anything. Expect a trap, and be happy if there isn't one." Across from Judy, Harry glowered openly at Skye, though she did not look his way. "Get going. If you're not back in an hour, I'll send Markus after you, if I can pry him out of Katrina's paws. She's decided he's got too much foreign mentality and wants to show him the errors of his ways. I don't expect that argument to be done anytime soon, as they're both exceedingly stubborn."

They kept quiet a minute as Skye hurriedly drew a map on the back of the note, then handed it to Judy. As an afterthought, Skye tucked the coins back into the cloth pouch.

Judy took the coin from Skye, then motioned for Harry to follow her. He shot one more dirty look at Skye, and followed Judy back out of the room, upstairs, and out to the backyard entrance, where a small plastic flap set into the wall allowed the smaller prey to come and go without needing someone taller to open the door for them.

Once they were outside under the slowly-setting fall sun—still far warmer than Judy could remember from all but the middle of summer back home—she stopped and waited for Harry to catch up.

"Okay, spit it out," Judy ordered, as they walked together out of the yard and onto the neighboring street. "What's going on?"

"We're fetching wine for a dictator who ordered Snow's family butchered. Pretty much a regular Monday."

"It's Friday, and that's not what I mean, Zippy." Harry huffed, but did not reply. "I told Nick we needed a timeout, but you look more angry and frazzled than he does. I'm struggling every minute to keep from crying and clinging to Nick's leg to keep him from leaving, and I feel positively chipper compared to how you look. What happened yesterday?"

"I don't want to talk about it. It's really none of your business."

Judy stopped walking, and Harry continued several steps farther before coming to a stop as well. "You killed my boyfriend, Zippy. You lied about everything for weeks. I still owe you a serious kicking for touching my tail without permission. Want to try again, or should I start cashing in on everything?"

Harry's shoulders sank a little, and he began walking, forcing Judy to keep up with him. "I'm worried about Snow and Nick."

"I'm worried about them, too, but no more than anyone else with us," she replied. A quick glance at the map let her know they were going the right direction. "Can you be more specific?"

"Yesterday morning. It rattled me. Are you sure Nick won't…that they aren't…?"

Judy almost managed to stop herself from laughing, but failed. "Are you serious? You're really worried they're sleeping together, after how she treated him earlier? Even if they were, what's it to you? I'm the one who should be pulling out her fur to protect my…interests."

"This is why I didn't want to talk about it," Harry snapped, lowering his head a little.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Judy asked, ears going straight up. She poked at Harry's arm to get him to turn, but he marched even faster along. "Did you tell her?"

Harry threw his paws in the air and spun, forcing Judy to a sliding halt. "Of course I didn't! I'm not in love with her. It's…I don't know. It's something else. I want to keep her safe, even if it gets me killed. She's done so much for me that I can never repay it all. The least I can do is make sure she's happy and isn't getting hurt by someone else, the way she has been in the past."

Judy's nose would not stop twitching, no matter how hard she tried. All she could do was force down the grin that threatened to pop onto her face. "You do love her. Sweet cheese and crackers, you're doing the same stupid thing I did."

"I am not!" Harry grumbled, looking around at the nearest mammals, but most were far from where they had paused to argue. None so much as glanced toward them. "There's nothing sexual between us. I just… I need her in my life."

"Who said anything about sex?" she replied, double-checking no one could hear her. "That doesn't mean everything. You want to be around her?"

"Of course. She's my best friend."

"Can't imagine a day without seeing her?"

"That's part of the job, and otherwise who would make sure she didn't get into trouble?"

"Jealous of Nick and her working on a two-tailed fox?"

"That's not funny. I think I'm going to be sick, Fluff."

"Yeah, that's pretty much a crush in a nutshell. How long?"

Harry cocked his head and thought a moment. "Three years, give or take."

Judy quickly thought over her recent observations with Harry and Skye, trying to sort through things in her head. Briefly, she considered that Harry might be stalking Skye, after comparing his behavior to the unwanted attention a buck had shown Judy in high school, but the way Skye watched Harry hinted there was no lack of affection on her end. At least, no lack of affection so long as it was not called that.

"What did you say to her that got your ears in a bunch?" Judy asked finally, giving Harry a little push to get him moving again. "Something changed."

"I might have yelled at her for whatever she did with Nick." He looked sidelong at her, appearing more than a little guilty. "I'm sorry you went through that, too."

"They didn't do anything, Zippy. Get that out of your head. I don't know Snow, but Nick wouldn't. If he did, I'd know because he'd be on his knees begging for forgiveness before they'd even finished. Don't get me wrong, yesterday got to me, too, but I know it's nothing. You have to know that."

"I do," he admitted, leading them around a turn in the road and onto Poplar Street. "I was angry. I blurted out a lot that I shouldn't have. I told her about things I did to free her and how I…"

"Don't leave me hanging, Zippy."

Harry sighed. "How I took a lot of beatings over the years to protect her."

"Oh, that could not have won you any awards with her. She's too strong-willed to want to think someone did something for her. I should know—this is going to hurt to say—because her and I are too much alike in that. Attacking you, for instance. I am perfectly happy to beat you bloody myself…"

"Not a very good cheer-up talk, Fluff."

"…but Nick went and did it himself. He had no right to do that. Let me handle my own battles. Snow's the same way. Help her, but don't do it for her. And for heaven's sake, don't ever tell her it's love. She'll panic and send you away. Just let it happen, or not. As soon as you push, she'll push right back, and she's a lot bigger than you are."

"Since when were you the expert on relationships?"

"Since I had to spend almost a week in contemplation of my life, thinking I lost my relationship when Nick died," she answered, then punched Harry in the shoulder, nearly knocking him off his paws. "That's for making me go through it."

"Did you two really break up?" he asked, clearly trying to change the topic, though he looked genuinely curious.

"Sort of? It's complicated."

"That only makes me wonder more."

Judy laughed and shrugged as they walked around a large group of hyenas, who watched them with no small amount of curiosity. "Yes, we did, or rather I did. He spends too much time worrying about me, and I can't have that here. I love him, but we needed the time to work without distraction."

"Let me get this straight." Harry motioned toward a building about a block down the street, before continuing. "You found an animal you love, but you broke up with him because you love him? Tell me how that's less insane than me trying to sort things out with Snow."

"You're making it sound stupid. I asked for space. He won't understand that, so I had to say it was a temporary breakup. I get possessive, and I'm seeing him doing the same. With him and Snow… I couldn't let myself get worked up, and that means taking a break. I don't want to be that girlfriend that beats back every vixen who so much as talks to him, so I'm using the time to reevaluate how I deal with him."

"I'm going to try again, Fluff. You're in love with him. He's in love with you. You aren't going after anyone else. He won't touch Snow, or so you say. You broke up so you can stop trying to keep him all to yourself, but you don't intend to have that change. That may be the stupidest thing ever. No offense."

"Plenty taken." Judy slowed their pace as they neared the winery. "We have things we haven't worked out, and I want to be ready for the worst. If we can't find an agreeable solution, we will probably break up eventually anyway. I'm setting us up so when we sit down to talk about those things, we can walk away if we don't have a way to move forward. I don't want him to think he has no choice but to stay with me, if we can't agree."

"What's big enough to push you two apart? Death wasn't. Snow and I manipulating you wasn't."

Judy smiled at that, despite wanting to punch Harry in the jaw. Somehow, the more they joked about the death, the less it hurt that they had gone that route in the first place. "Children. I want them someday. Not soon, but someday. Nick won't say what he wants either way. Since we can't…"

"You'll figure something out." Harry brought them to a stop, just far enough from the door of the winery to not be overheard by two tipsy wolverines leaning on the wall. "This isn't complicated, Fluff. Trust me in this. Snow and I have been hurt in more ways than I can count, and emotions aren't easy anymore. They're messy and get in the way. When we try to look to our feelings, we mess things up for everyone around us. You two have seen more than you should, but still far from what we have. Cling to what you have and build on it. Don't squander a single day. Enjoy today, tomorrow, and whatever else you can get. If it ends, then move on. Being ready to run early just in case only makes today less pleasant."

"That may be the most insightful thing you've ever said," Judy told him, grinning.

"And when this is all over," he continued, any humor fading from his face, "run far away. Don't join the ZBI, if it's offered. You're too good for this line of work. Hold your loved ones close and do what you enjoy in life, not what duty tells you needs to be done. Sooner or later, your sense of duty will get between you and Nick. It'll get between you and any happiness."

Leaning in, Judy kissed Harry on the cheek, making him jump backward a step in surprise. "Thank you. If I can help you and Snow—and I don't mean with the job—I will."

Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the winery. "We need to get moving. Too many distractions lately. Just promise me you'll do the right thing by Nick."

"I can't promise I'll do it before we leave, but I will as soon as I can."

"I don't mean just talking to him. You love him. He loves you. Make that clear. The other stuff…that can all be straightened out one way or another. You're making this more complicated than it needs to be."

Harry pushed open the door of the winery, ignoring some snide comments from the wolverines, who had sneered and growled at the two of them since their arrival. Judy followed him into the darker interior of the building, where an elderly mountain lion was working to clean a row of wine glasses on a countertop.

"You are in the wrong section of town, prey," warned the lion, without looking up from his dishrag. "Get out before I have you both whipped for dirtying my floor."

Judy hurried to get ahead of Harry, holding out the lower half of the note Rolen had given them. "My master asked us to fetch this. We can't read it, but he told us this was the place to go."

The mountain lion snorted and snatched the note from her, his claws brushing the back of her paw. "If I find you're wasting my time, you'll both be dead and skinned before he knows you're missing. Some random drunk does not buy here, as I already told the vagrants out front. I serve only the—"

The abrupt end to the lion's rant let Judy know he had seen the wax seal on the note. To her surprise, he held up the paper and read it more than once, then took to carefully touching the raised edges of wax with one of his claws.

"Your master is asking a lot of me," the lion explained, his tone dramatically softened. "I will gladly serve his wishes to the best of my ability, assuming he can pay. Even the warlord does not get this style of drink for free. My family has been serving warlords and kings for nearly a thousand years, and we didn't keep it up by doing so cheaply. He should know that by now."

Judy jingled the small pouch of coins. "My master says this is enough to cover the bill."

"We'll see about that." The lion looked toward one wall, where large casks of sweet-smelling wines ran from floor to ceiling. "There is nothing I can really substitute easily. Wait here. I'll see what we have left. Twenty year Malbec of that variety is long since gone from the region, though I might have a twenty-two or twenty-five. If you touch anything in my absence, I will remove your paws."

Judy quickly clasped her paws in front of her, and Harry did the same, which seemed to appease the vintner, as he gave them one last annoyed glare, then left for the back room. They remained as still as possible, while Judy could hear the faint clicking of wine bottles being moved around somewhere.

"What's so special about this wine?" she asked from the side of her mouth, knowing Harry likely had as little information as she did.

"Not sure." He leaned slightly, trying to see the mountain lion, but then straightened. "Three households growing up, and a lot of education after reaching the north, but I've never heard of it. If Katrina can't afford it, it's really special or rare."

A moment later, the lion reappeared, this time holding a large clay bottle, which he blew a layer of dust off of. Setting it on the counter, he shook his head slightly and shrugged. "This may be the last bottle in the region. Twenty-eight year. Far better than the twenty, but much stronger, as well. Given who your master is, I won't raise my price beyond that of the twenty. Consider this the greatest bargain he has ever received, and I hope he knows to show his gratitude. Forty thousand shells in actual coin, not script. Coins now, please. A bottle this valuable doesn't go anywhere until I have full payment, regardless of who sent you."

Judy scurried up to the front of the counter and rose on her tiptoes to dump the coin pouch in front of the mountain lion. He stared back at her as she eased down fully onto her hind paws, his eyelids narrowing. "I'm sorry. I can't count higher than my four paws. Is that enough coin?"

The lion huffed angrily and began sliding the coins around. "It is. Barely. I cannot fathom who thought it was a good idea to let a cute little bunny carry that much money around. Consider it the graces of the bear that let you even complete your task, prey."

Judy clenched her jaw, barely able to keep from scolding the larger predator about his verbiage.

Beside her, Harry piped up at last. "Thank you. Forty thousand. I'll let my master know the Forty thousand he gave us was exactly enough to cover your costs, with no coins to return."

The lion's attention darted to Harry, then down to the coins on the counter. Snarling, he made a show of recounting them. After a moment, he slid three large coins toward Judy. "I miscounted. You gave me fifty-five thousand shells. I do recommend learning to count, or you might cost your master a small fortune. My loyalty to the Ursius family far outweighs my desire to see you two whipped."

Judy offered meek thanks, then put the three coins back into the cloth pouch. "Is there anything else we need to relay to our master?"

"Nothing specific," the lion said, sliding the massive bottle over the edge of the counter. He held it there until both Judy and Harry had paws on it to keep it from dropping. "It's strong. If he's not much of a drinker, I recommend he find something else. This is not for the timid, as I told him the last time he ordered something milder. Now run along. I don't want you leaving behind fleas."

Judy and Harry moved more slowly away from the counter, as they were forced to work together to carry the large bottle. To her relief, the vintner came out to help them, holding open the door as they left.

No sooner had they stepped into the daylight than the wolverines closed in on them, forming a half-circle that trapped them against the winery's entrance.

"Where ya going with that?" asked one of the wolverines, lowering himself to glower directly into Judy's face. He stunk strongly of cheap vodka. "Set it down on the ground and walk away, bunny."

Before Judy could reply, Harry chimed in. "Yes, sir, whatever you want. I'm certain Rolen Ursius will understand why you stole from him."

The wolverine's attention snapped to Harry, and Judy could feel the tension around them rise sharply. After a second, the drunken thug looked up at the vintner still standing in the doorway behind Judy and Harry.

"Rolen himself sent them," warned the mountain lion. "You have witnesses. If you think I'll keep my mouth shut for the likes of you, and risk getting myself in trouble, you have another thing coming. Let the bunnies pass, or I'll make certain Rolen knows you stole from him. I don't care what you do with the bunnies, but that bottle is going back to the warlord, whether they take it or you do."

Snarling, the wolverine stood up and walked away, waving his fellows to go with him.

Once the way was clear, Judy looked up to thank the lion, but he slammed the door in her face.

"There aren't friends here," Harry explained, beginning the slow walk back to Katrina's. "There's only convincing predators we aren't their enemies. Use their distrust of each other against them. It's the only way we make it day to day. It's also why Snow and I are the way we are."

Judy lumbered along with the bottle for a short while, thinking over the last hour. Finally, she asked, "Is this how it was for you here?"

"Far worse," Harry admitted. "I learned how to manipulate long after leaving. When I was here, there was rarely a day I didn't taste or see my own blood. The threats from that vintner…not threats. He would have skinned us or cut off our paws."

"There's no way—"

"There were five unmatched paws hanging behind the counter," Harry countered, without slowing his pace. "It's not a crime to remove a paw from a thief, if you own a shop. What qualifies as a thief varies based on the social rank of the one being accused. For us, all it takes is his statement and we are guilty. I know you try to see the best in everyone, but you need to stop. Here, it takes very little for you to end up as a delicacy on someone's dining table."

Judy closed her mouth as she gagged, remembering the scent of the rabbit served at Katrina's.

After a short time walking, Harry spoke up again, switching topics as though nothing had happened since their arrival at the winery. "What do you plan to do tonight? I saw how you and Nick were awake almost all night watching each other, other than when he made that mad dash to water the lawn."

"I don't know." Judy wanted to shy away from the conversation, but with the bottle being carefully balanced between them, she had little she could really do to escape. "Probably the same thing. Watch him and wish he was holding me."

"That's stupid, and you know it. At least let him know you aren't mad at him. Keep it platonic, if nothing else. So long as we're hiding in a basement, you don't need to worry about the act, and with the talk you had with Katrina, you can get away with sharing Nick with Snow."

"What's got you so worried? You sure weren't when you tried a dozen different ways to break us up. Besides, I don't see you taking your own advice."

Harry winced. "You're not wrong. I can't fix my own problems. I really only make them worse. I'd rather see someone end up in a good place than none of us."

"Not while we're here, no matter how much you argue. I'll let him and Snow snuggle it out, and we'll talk back home. Step one, get out alive. Step two, work through whatever he had to do with Snow, and whether he liked it better than being with me. Assuming there's a step three, get him to answer whether the kits thing is going to be a problem. After that _maybe_ we can make it work. I refuse to get my hopes up until then. I've seen how dangerous that is, living in a fairy tale. The world outside of what I grew up with is not what I expected, and not something that kind of relationship is built for."

"Judy, I'm going to give you some free advice."

"Please don't, Zippy."

Harry smiled, but ignored her. "Stop arguing your way out of how you feel. You'll end up angry and alone, watching the one you care about move on with their life."

"That sounds like the voice of personal experience. Besides, I already went through that. I got through it."

"No, you didn't," Harry said, eyes still on the road ahead, where Katrina's house could be seen in the distance. "I studied you extensively when training with the ZBI. You were my role model. First bunny in either the ZPD or ZBI. I heard about what happened with Silvia. I know all about it. How did you feel when he chose her, initially?"

"This isn't something I want to talk about."

"That bad, huh? You're making it happen again. Don't push him away, or you're asking for that to happen. I know this from experience. I pushed Snow away, because she scared me and I didn't know how I felt. Since then, she's stopped feeling anything for anyone. I've had to watch as she goes from case to case, flirting or worse with suspects and coworkers. I can assure you, it never gets easier. How you felt with Silvia, you'll feel that until you stop having any love for Nick. Every single day, every single date he goes on. There's no one else to blame."

"I get it!" she snapped, grumbling and keeping her ears low. "We're one day from done here. I'll deal with it then. The moment we're on that plane, I'll talk to him. That's the best I can offer."

Harry sighed, but stopped arguing, letting them walk the remaining distance to the house in silence.

They soon reached the back entrance to Katrina's house, and Judy shifted as much of the weight of the giant bottle to Harry as she could without crushing him so she could open the latch on the gate with one of her toes. Once the gate swung open, she led the way into the yard.

They entered the home near the back, with Muffin opening the back door for them, the cool shade of the house a refreshing change after just a few blocks carrying the bottle. Muffin helped them navigate their way through the narrow halls, until at last they reached the large servants' room, where Judy immediately spotted Nick, Skye, and Rolen sitting against one wall. The three looked to have been talking, though the two foxes appeared nervous and remained well out of arm's reach—and Judy noticed Skye had a pistol lying on the floor mostly covered by her tail.

"Ah, good, I worried the two of you might get confused or lost," Rolen said, motioning them over. His broad grin gave Judy shivers as his fangs caught the light. "Katrina has given me free reign over this one room, and your fellows were attempting to pretend they were civil hosts, rather than watching to ensure I did not escape, while the others take a break. They aren't exactly great conversationalists."

Judy brought Harry to a stop and together they lowered the bottle in front of Rolen's hind paws. "There. You have your wine. You planning to behave now?"

Rolen shrugged absently and chuckled. "If you're concerned I plan to escape, please stop. I have my choice of here, where I have a squad of ZBI and ZPD agents escorting me safely, or back at the town hall, where I will be threatened and forced to turn over my birthright. I will gladly stay in your custody. So long as I am missing, Otto is unable to enforce his control over my lands."

Judy studied Rolen for several seconds, then looked to Nick for some hint as to how things were really going. He gave her a very slight nod to reassure her, though Skye never took her eyes off the bear. Very rarely did she even blink. The fear was almost palpable. Even as Judy watched, Skye's fingertips brushed the pistol, as though reminding herself it was close enough.

"So much unwarranted concern," Rolen said, nodding toward Skye. "I gave my word. I will not harm any of you. I will not try to escape. Would I have sent them to collect a fine wine for me if I intended to run? This bottle is worth as much as one of my smaller palaces. You can, and should, put that weapon away before you hurt yourself, vixen. I will not lay a paw on any of you, except to defend myself, should you break your end of the bargain."

Skye slid the pistol fully into view and placed one paw on it. "Excuse me if I continue to consider you a lying, murderous monster."

"Child, I don't even know you. Your coworkers were soldiers in a war they were ill-suited to fight. I am done with that task, and you can rest assured I have no intention of popping your tiny head off."

Skye picked up the handgun and tried to stand quickly, but Nick grabbed her wrist and held her firmly, slowly pulling her back down to the floor beside him.

"Enough of the mind games, Rolen," Nick said, once Skye had set aside her weapon and relaxed somewhat. "Drink and stay quiet. We're just killing time now."

Rolen snorted and looked between Judy and Nick, then Harry and Skye, before returning his attention to Nick. "How is your mother, Wilde? I hope I didn't cause too much damage when I slapped her around. Did she mention making me my first bugburger while in my custody? She serves well, even when under threat of death."

Nick bared his fangs, and Judy prepared to launch herself forward to intercept him, but he quickly wiped the anger off his face. His capacity for concealing his emotions was stunning. "She's fine. Thanks for asking. She said a few snide things about your hospitality and absolute lack of cooking skills. How's your mother?"

"You would have to ask the vixen beside you," Rolen replied, brows lowering dangerously. "I'm afraid I had not seen in her several years, and now never will, thanks to one of her partners. The individual who smuggled Snow out of my lands is also the one who killed my parents. I have not yet found him."

Nick and Judy looked to Skye, but she kept her attention on Rolen.

"Enough of this," Judy piped in, as tensions continued to rise. "Drink your wine and leave us alone. Tomorrow, you're going into a cell far enough under the city you won't see daylight for years."

Rolen adjusted himself against the wall, making the structure creak dangerously, as he turned to face Judy. "You continue to speak without me giving you leave to do so. I warned you back in the city I would break you into several pieces if you kept it up. Do I need to have your partner repeat his earlier performance."

"Try it and see how far that gets you," warned Nick, this time making no effort to hide his anger.

"Nonsense," Rolen said dismissively, waving at Nick. "Hopps here has more than proven herself a competent…servant. I have no intention of hurting any of you. Again, I gave my word, yet you don't seem to understand me well enough to accept it. For now, I will abide by your wishes and waste away my hours drinking this fine wine. What I won't do is trust all of you, when you refuse to trust me. I demand one of you drink some before I do. It's both an assurance you are not trying to kill me, and an offer of kindness from me, allowing you to share something none of you are of a station to ever so much as sniff on your own. There are actually laws against your kind touching this bottle without my permission. I should know, I wrote them."

Beside Judy, Harry began ripping wax off the cork of the bottle. "If it shuts you up, gladly."

"Fetch us some glasses, Snow," Rolen demanded, watching Harry carefully. "Sharing this is asking a lot of me. Sharing from a bottle like some homeless vermin is beyond my willingness. I don't know where you all have been, or what diseases bunnies carry."

Nick and Skye whispered briefly, and Nick got up instead, while Skye kept her paw on the pistol. As Harry finally wiggled the large cork out of the bottle, Nick returned with five glasses from the kitchen.

"I had my doubts you could count," Rolen said, glowering at Nick. "One for myself and one for the bunny to sample. You hold five glasses. If the journey to the city is long enough, I can teach you."

"So I do have five," Nick replied, shoving one into Rolen's large paw, before passing smaller ones to Judy, Harry, and Skye, while keeping one for himself. "You just became more generous. We're all tasting it—assuming Zippy lives through his first sip—and I've warned the others to be ready for you to do something stupid."

Rolen chuckled and rubbed at spots in the glass, as though cleaning it. "Do as you think is best. I have only one intention and that is to enjoy this bottle. Once you take me from my lands, I will likely never have another. If you were all larger animals, I might object to your demand that I share, but you are hardly a concern, unless you can drink far more than I expect."

Judy looked at her glass, then over at Nick, wondering if this was a good idea. A quick glance at the hall let her see the shadow of Delgato nearby. They were being watched for safety. Turning to Harry, she found he already had managed to pour a small amount of the dark bluish-purple wine into his glass and was sniffing at it experimentally.

"Is the bouquet to the master's liking?" teased Rolen, holding up his empty glass. "Please hurry up, bunny. They have given me nothing but water since my return. Can you imagine?"

Harry and Judy exchanged looks, before he downed the mouthful of wine. After a second, he coughed and sat down hard, but held up a paw to stop anyone from acting too quickly. "I…I'm fine. Wow, that's strong. I don't think I've had whiskey or vodka that burns so much."

"Indeed," Rolen muttered. "We can cut it with a small amount of water. Many smaller breeds do so. Unless you will leave the bottle to me alone…"

"Not happening after all you've put us through," Nick replied, watching Harry. "Fluff, keep an eye on him. If he's fine in five minutes, I'll believe we're safe. Rolen drinks next. No one else touches it until after."

"Safe?" Rolen asked, looking up. "Your own bunnies fetched this. I'm trying to ensure my safety from you, and you question whether I somehow poisoned _them_? I haven't even touched the bottle. Do not insult me, Wilde."

Judy crossed her arms. "He's not insulting you. He's giving you more credit than you deserve. Go ahead and drink. I'll pass. I've had enough alcohol for a lifetime this month."

"At least sample it." Rolen motioned vaguely toward the bottle. "You will never have another chance. Consider this my only act of compassion on you after all you and your mate made me go through in the city."

Judy bristled and had to force herself to keep from marching over to Rolen. "He's not my mate. _We_ put _you_ through? You killed so many… You kidnapped our family members!"

"Calm down, Fluff," Harry warned, putting one paw on her arm. "He's manipulating you."

Judy looked back to Rolen, seeing the slight smirk creasing his muzzle. Across the room, Nick had one paw on Skye's arm the same way Harry did on hers. Two of them recognized the game for what it was.

"Fine. I'll try it, but once we turn it over to you, I want your muzzle shut," she warned, as Harry tipped the bottle to pour a small stream of dark liquid into her glass. "You keep this up, and we tape your muzzle shut with a straw to drink through."

"That seems about as reasonable as I can expect from your kind," Rolen replied, holding out his glass. "Can I be served now, or do I need to wait on the others? I'm not accustomed to being last."

Once her glass held a fair amount of wine, Harry righted the bottle and whispered, "Him next. Just in case. If he's willing to drink, we're safe."

Judy set her glass down on the uneven floor and crossed the room to Rolen. She snatched his glass from his paw, carrying it in both of hers back to the bottle, where Harry quickly set to filling it. Though the full glass was heavy, Judy staggered back to Rolen and placed it in his paw. "There. Don't say I never did anything for you."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Rolen sniffed at the glass, then added, "In fact, I cannot imagine bothering to mention you. Rather pointless to talk of your breed, unless it is in preparation for an evening meal."

Judy grumbled and turned on her heel, going back over to Harry and the bottle, where she picked up her glass and waited. Nick and Skye likewise held empty glasses ready, watching Rolen for any hint of a trap.

"You are making me self-conscious," the bear told them, as he rocked the glass under his nose. "Give me a moment." Once he had finished sniffing, Rolen raised the glass and sipped a small amount of the wine, which he seemed to be holding in his mouth, savoring. Finally, he swallowed and smiled as he leaned against the wall. "There. If you intend to poison me, it is done. You have gotten away with it. Had the ZBI been more diligent in the past, this would have been a remarkably easy way to do so."

Harry moved from Judy's side over to Nick and Skye, collecting their glasses so they did not have to cross in front of Rolen. He brought them back over to the bottle and poured a small amount in each. "No one gets to drink heavily, other than the bear."

"I can't imagine wanting to," Nick replied. "This mostly comes down to bragging rights for having tasted a wine that costs more than my city block. I want to see what all this fuss is about, but the idea of getting lit with him alongside me is hardly appealing."

"I agree with the sentiment," Rolen said, smiling at his glass after another sip. "More for me, then."

Harry returned the partially-full glasses, then sat down beside Judy to wait.

Judy picked up her glass and watched Rolen carefully, but he was making no effort to avoid drinking. If he was preparing for something, he gave her no indication. Even Nick seemed to finally accept that the bear had settled into a relaxed pattern of sipping his drink.

Lifting the glass, Judy sniffed the wine a few times, somewhat surprised by the strength of its aroma. Even the hard alcohol her siblings favored rarely stung her nose so easily. She could pick out at least a half dozen types of grapes and other berries, but there was nothing else that stood out. It seemed like an entirely safe—albeit strong—wine.

Judy sipped at the wine, flinching as it burned her lips and tongue. To her surprise, after the initial bite, it left a smooth and pleasant aftertaste, which lingered while warmth flowed out into her fingers and toes. Whatever was in the wine, it made her feel flushed far faster than even the rums and whiskeys Nick had left in the apartment.

After a few more seconds of sniffing nervously at the wine, both Nick and Skye also took small sips. Skye's muzzle wrinkled in mild disgust, but Nick's eyes widened with surprise. He took a second drink, then set aside his glass.

"Now," Rolen rumbled, his glass half-empty. "I have a few questions. Feel free to refuse me answers, but I fail to see the harm at this point."

"Ask away," Skye replied. "I'll answer if I want to. No promises."

"Completely understandable. If I might ask, what does your city do with someone like myself? Firing squad? Hanging? Drawn and quartered? Flayed alive?"

Skye smiled wryly, pulling the handgun into her lap. "A jail cell for the rest of your life."

Rolen huffed and finished his glass, then gestured vaguely toward Harry, who ran over to take it from him. "Barbaric. Kill a mammal for killing yours, or walk away from it. Caging an animal for life is far crueler than death. Ask your lion. I'm certain he'd wish a quick death on me, after what I did to his mate."

"Our city disagrees," Harry said, as he put the filled glass back in Rolen's paw. Before he came back to Judy, he cleared his throat loudly. "We don't kill if we can help it."

"A weakness in itself." Rolen eyed the wine, then turned to stare at Harry. "Not that they are your customs or laws. You have as much in common with Hopps as I do. Let's not fool ourselves. You are Ursian, even if you claim a new home. You can run as far as you like, but that collar belongs on you. I may harass her, but Hopps was born without one. She is free. You never will be."

"I am a free mammal now," Harry snapped, tightening his paws into fists, though he stayed close to Judy and well outside Rolen's reach. Again, he coughed and cleared his throat. "I will never be a slave again."

Rolen grinned and drank a little more wine, the dark liquid staining his teeth a faint purple that stood out as distinctive to Judy, though she could not put a finger on it. "Can you even close your eyes without feeling the whip? Can your pet fox? I may never have been a slave, but I know a broken mammal when I see one. You will be property until you die. I may be in a cage, but I will still be free, and you will not be."

Harry took a step forward aggressively, then his ears fell and he began trembling. He backed away toward Judy and she caught him to keep him from running her over. Twitching muscles under his fur felt as though every inch of his body was shaking.

Judy leaned forward to ask Harry what was going on, but found he was staring wide-eyed not just at Rolen, but also at the two foxes. He pulled away from her, backing up quickly and dropping to all fours.

"Oh, one other thing," Rolen said in a neutral voice, as he set his glass aside. "My court always threw large parties, with violent proofs of one's strength afterward. A party was not a good one without bloodshed or an orgy…maybe both. Not everyone is so easily riled up, so my ancestors got creative."

Judy felt a nervous chill spreading through her body, and she found herself unable to avoid frantically watching the three predators. She knew this feeling. It had happened once before. Now, no matter how her mind argued, Nick and Skye were threats, ready to kill and eat her. Rolen was also a threat, but more to them than to her. She backed away with Harry at her side, both of them moving toward the far wall on all four paws.

Across the room, Nick and Skye were on their hind paws, with Skye aiming her pistol at Rolen. Before he finished his next drink, both foxes began inching away from the bear, and Skye dropped the weapon as she looked between Rolen and the two bunnies.

"Night Howler seeds came from this region, long before your lands used them for pest control," Rolen continued, smiling into his nearly-empty glass. "Dawn wanted them to prove we were monsters, but that's not what we traditionally used them for. We never did refine them the way Doug did, but they do their job well enough. Before you worry too much, I will be fine. It takes a great deal of Howler wine before I feel anything—an unfortunate side-effect of years drinking it. Most smaller mammals are not so lucky. One or two sips, and they slip into madness within minutes. Do try to call for help. I want to see how far along you are already."

Judy tried to scream, but all she could make were nervous chitters as she backed away from the others. She soon felt the wall against her backside, and huddled beside Harry, trying to make herself as small as she could manage. A brief thought of digging to safety came to mind, but she dismissed it quickly as she realized the predators could already see them, and the ground was too hard for digging.

The foxes—Judy could not quite remember names anymore—had dropped to their paws as well, and darted swiftly to the far side of the room, keeping Rolen between themselves and the bunnies, though occasional hungry glares were aimed their way.

"Madness truly amazes me sometimes," Rolen said as he rocked forward to grab the bottle and pull it alongside himself. He poured himself another drink. "You learn much about mammals from how they behave when their minds are addled. Let's see what we learn about the four of you, shall we? As promised, I won't harm any of you. The effects should wear off in six to eight hours. I wonder if all four of you will still be alive by then."

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.3 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 27** **th** **, Friday Evening – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

Nick growled and stalked the side of the room, trying to keep the bear from approaching, which seemed to be working so far. It had stayed away, drinking its strange sweet-smelling waters. Unfortunately, the bear sat between him and food. Two cute little bunnies cowered on the far side of the den, watching him with horror that only furthered his desire to run them down and shake them until they stopped fighting.

A second growl nearby drew his attention to the corner he had retreated to upon seeing the bear, and he became aware that another fox had taken refuge near him. She was smaller, an arctic, and a potential threat to his territory, but she was more interested in staying near him than running, so he could not bring himself to attack her, at least not yet. Another time and place, she might be a rival or food herself, but so long as it was the two of them against a bear, he would tolerate her being close to him. An arctic might not be a real fox, but she was far closer than anything else in the room.

Pacing along the wall, Nick tried to find a way to reach the bunnies without getting too close to the bear, but it was hopeless. Any path would put him far closer than he would have liked. For the moment, all he could do was salivate at the idea of tackling the bunnies, while he bided his time.

"I doubt you've completely lost yourselves the way the Howlers would when Doug mixed them," the bear said to no one in particular, and Nick found himself straining to understand the meaning behind the sounds coming out of its mouth. "Animal aggression and instincts rise to the top, but you are still yourself. I always adored using this technique to study my generals and loyalists. One drink—at least the first time—and they reveal everything I need to know about them. It was also a wonderful way to ensure prisoners sentenced to fight to the death actually did so. Most citizens thought I inspired the most heated battles by my presence at the arena, but I do have to give the wine credit."

Nick growled and hissed at the bear, but it did not even look at him. That gave him a small amount of confidence, and he inched his way across the room, his paws coming down lightly on the dead trees that lined the ground. Each tentative step, the rabbits hunkered down farther into the corner, wide eyes focused on him.

Abruptly, the bear moved again, and Nick squeaked and retreated to his side of the room. He barely even noticed that he slunk right up alongside the female fox, attempting to use her as cover if the bear attacked. She snapped back at him, and Nick realized how far she had pushed her luck by interfering in his hunt.

Nick let out a shrill yip and tackled the vixen, bearing her to the ground by her throat. He pinned her, fighting to keep his body well away from her snapping mouth and flailing paws, but soon she relented and whined as he held her down. Easing his grip, he made certain she was not about to get up without his permission, then shifted to the far side of her, so he could watch the bear, rabbits, and vixen at the same time. Slowly, the white fox rolled back onto her stomach and slunk up alongside Nick, accepting his leadership for the moment. It would not last, but it was enough for him to trust her until she made a wrong move.

"Let's make this even more interesting," the bear continued, getting slowly to its paws. It walked across to the far side of the room, taking itself out of Nick's path to the bunnies. When the bear sat back down, it filled the opening in one wall, which had been the only route of escape for either Nick or the rabbits. "I may not be willing to hurt any of you, but I wonder if you feel the same. I've had generals kill half of their lieutenants before their minds recognized anyone. No fox would leave some tender morsel of a rabbit unharmed, would they? If the bunnies survive, I wonder what they'll think of you after this."

Nick might not have fully understood the words, but the intent was clear. The bear was willing to let him at the rabbits. He was still in danger, though the bear was not an immediate threat. He could hunt—kill, even—and the bear would wait. It might not have been ideal, but he was willing to take what he could get. Inching forward with the white vixen alongside him, Nick growled loudly, feeling the terror radiating from the rabbits as he inched across the room.

"That's what I thought," the bear said, laughing. "All your claims of love are nothing more than curiosity and high-minded fantasy. To you, they are still prey. Kill them, if you can. I will keep the others from stopping you too soon. You might have convinced yourself not to eat bunnies, but those reservations are gone now. Be the animal you know you are. Kill your lover. Once you are broken, we can talk about how you will serve me going forward."

Nick hesitated a second longer, then raced across the room in long bounding leaps, as the rabbits looked around frantically for somewhere to run. They froze too long, and he was on them, instinctually going for the gray and white rabbit, which he tackled and bowled to the ground. He had it—her—pinned in seconds, his teeth dug deep into her fur. The shrieks of the bunny were musical, enticing, and urging him to close his jaw and end her. Still, he could not make himself finish the job. No matter how hungry looking at her made him, he could not quite finish the job. She thrashed and struggled, kicking wildly, but he held her tightly between his teeth, unsure what, if anything, he could convince himself to do.

Looking sideways, Nick found that the white fox was doing little better. She had the brown bunny under her, her nose almost pressed to his face as she growled, but she had not hurt him. There was no blood, no fur scattered, nothing at all. She had frozen the way he had, just shy of the kill. Tonight, they would starve, if one of them did not do something quickly. They were being weak and indecisive, when there was no reason for it. Kill or be killed. It was as natural as breathing.

"Come now! I would see you find your true nature!" the bear exclaimed, before checking over its shoulder at the open space behind it. There, Nick could smell other predators, but none came into sight and the bear soon relaxed. "Are you a fox, or not? Rabbits too strong for you to handle?"

Nick growled deep in his throat, and the bunny under him shrieked softly, curling into a tiny ball. He felt that urge to clamp his jaws shut and be done with her noises before something else came to take his meal from him, but he could not make himself do it. Somehow, he was no longer hungry. While her weeping made him wish to kill her, he felt like it was not right. This was not how a fox—or at least how he—hunted. He wanted her to run, to fight, but she only cowered under him.

Snarling, Nick picked up the bunny by the scruff of her neck and carried her back to the corner of the room where he had first become aware of his surroundings. There, he all but threw her against the wooden wall, watching intently as she trembled and tried to hide from him in plain sight. The way she curled and moved was enticing him to strike, despite how much he preferred watching her. Finally, he placed himself between her and escape, then looked over to where the white fox stood with her prey, hoping she had been more successful in her hunt.

To Nick's dismay, the vixen was struggling with her rabbit, as well. Unlike him, she had not managed to even scruff the tasty morsel. Instead, she had curled up around the rabbit and was licking at the wounds she herself had inflicted when she had pounced.

 _Weak and useless_ , Nick thought, baring his teeth at the vixen, though she seemed not to notice as she groomed her dinner. If anything, she appeared to have adopted the bunny as a kit to be cared for, instead of ripped apart. _She will starve, and I will let it happen. She is too weak for me. To think I would have been willing to mate with her, if she had just brought in one small rabbit…_

Nick's attention snapped back to his own rabbit, who lay squirming in the corner, watching him for any opportunity to run. Her twitching nose left him no doubt that she would make a fine meal, once he had stripped away the thick fur and strange outer coat of some kind of unnatural fur-like material. One strike and it would be over. He only needed to rip out her throat and a meal was his. There would be no sharing with a potential mate, if she was too weak to kill her own rabbit.

"You know what belongs to you," the bear said. "This is good. You recognize her, but not why. This will be that much more entertaining."

Nick snapped at the rabbit again, forcing her back into the corner. The cries she let out made him feel good for several seconds, though any sense of victory faded rapidly. The more she shied away from him, the less he wanted to tear her apart. Instead, he found himself inching into the corner with her, trying to stop the poor thing from weeping. Soon, he was doing no better than the white fox, using his body to trap the rabbit against the den wall, while he tried unsuccessfully to nuzzle her and stop her tears.

"Oh come now, all you need to do is—" the bear roared, then its sound cut off abruptly.

Looking over his shoulder, while keeping his body between the bunny and escape, Nick saw that a tiger and lion had come into the den and the lion was holding something shiny in its paw against the bear's head. For whatever reason, the bear had relented and was making no attempt to kill them both.

"Stan, you deal with her and her love-bunny," the tiger said, nodding toward the white fox. "I've got these two."

Nick twisted the other way, to find that the white fox had not only kept her rabbit alive, but had him completely pinned under her, and was all but cuddling him. Whatever was going on in her mind was well outside Nick's understanding. Instead, he turned back to his rabbit and bared his teeth to strike—only to have strong paws come down on his neck, forcing him to the ground.

"Bad fox," warned the tiger, pressing Nick hard to the floor. "Bad! We don't kill our girlfriends! No! That's a very very bad fox."

Nick growled and twisted, trying to free himself, but the tiger was too strong. Finally, he relented and lay still, while the tiger passed his bunny over to the lion, and the white vixen was brought over alongside him.

"You two stay here, and we'll tend to the rabbits elsewhere," the tiger said near his ear. "If you think scruffing is bad, I can't even begin to tell you how badly I will hurt you if you attack her for real. Behave yourself. You're a very bad fox. Those exact words are going in my report, and I'll read them out loud at the next bullpen."

Nick lay still a little longer, until the tiger released him. Rolling onto his side, he watched as the lion dragged the bunnies from the room, leaving Nick and the white fox in one corner, and the bear and tiger in another. Something warned him that they would be watching him again soon, giving him very little time he would be free.

A yip from his far side drew Nick's angry gaze back to the white fox. She growled and postured, trying to scare him off, but he knew better than to fear her. He was larger and stronger. Whatever he wanted, he could have, and there was little she could do about it. With his meal lost, his first thought was to attack her, but her posturing made him realize she was taking a very dangerous stance against him. She thought she was stronger or better than him. She might even be trying to scare him off. That would not do at all.

Attacking with no warning, Nick tackled the vixen and rolled her onto her side with little effort. A few stray thrashes of her muzzle nearly caught him, but he twisted and moved with her, until he had her fully pinned with his jaws locked onto her neck and the majority of her body under him. He could have torn out her throat with little effort, but there was an appeal in her frustrations. He had her between his hind legs and could do anything he wanted. She was his, whether that was as a meal, or as something more entertaining.

Shifting, Nick fully mounted the white fox, rolling her with his teeth so her tail was out of the way. He pressed his hips against her, thinking to prove dominance, if nothing else. No sooner was he in an appropriate position than he realized he felt nothing. The female was relenting, letting him do what he wanted, but there was no desire to do more to her. He wanted nothing from her. Despite her being another breed, he felt as though he had just attacked a sibling. This was not right, not something he wanted at all. Even in his addled state, he felt some shame for his initial thoughts and moved his hips away from her backside.

"Whoa!" came a shout from behind him, before strong paws closed on Nick's neck, dragging him off of the vixen. "Not okay, Nick. Not okay at all!"

Wrapping his front legs around the vixen to keep from being yanked away, Nick lost his grip within seconds and found himself being held up off the ground by his neck, facing the same tiger who had attacked them before the rabbits had vanished.

"You two are getting one helluva timeout for this," warned the tiger, looking more tired than angry. "Felix is upstairs right now, trying to tie up your girlfriend."

"Whatever they got into, just shove their nose in it and sound angry!" came Carl's voice from outside the room.

"Not helping!" the tiger, Markus, snapped back. "What he was trying to get into is not what I want to be shoving his nose in."

The wolf's reply came from a little closer, and Nick managed to think clearly enough to recognize that he was right outside the room. "I have enough siblings to know you rub their nose in whatever they got into. It's what you do with pups, and that's about how bright these four are right now."

Markus grumbled and held Nick up in front of his face. "He was trying to get into Snow, so I'm not shoving his nose anywhere, Carl. I'm pretty sure your punishment would only encourage him."

The wolf's laughter drowned out most anything else for a long time, until Nick realized the bear was still being held in the corner of the room by the lion.

"We're all going to sit down and behave ourselves now. Understood?" the tiger asked, glaring at Nick. "Sleep it off. I'll even let you shoot the bear a few times, if you're very good."

"We had an arrangement where I was to be unharmed," the bear grumbled, though it kept very still with the metal object pressed into the side of its head from the lion.

The tiger huffed and kept watching Nick. "That arrangement did not include the part where you poison these four."

"I did nothing of the sort. They poisoned themselves. I simply did not stop them. I'm still adhering to my portion of the deal."

"Stan, keep him very still and quiet. If he so much as blinks, make him watch while we pour the wine down the drain," Markus said over his shoulder.

Nick looked past the tiger and found that the bear was actually sulking, his arms crossed over his chest and attention locked on the large clay bottle of sweet-smelling liquid.

"As for you two," the tiger went on, grabbing the white fox in his other forepaw, and picking them both up as he stood. "We're going to the guest room upstairs where we can watch you. You bite me and we're going to have a serious argument."

Nick hung from the tiger's paw by the scruff of his neck, unsure what he should—or could—do to escape. Without moving his head, he glanced sideways at the vixen, and she looked equally terrified, eyes wide as she stared straight ahead, keeping her paws close to her body lest the tiger think she was trying to attack. Looking down, Nick found he was in the same partially-curled position. Perhaps they were more alike in their cowardice than he had initially thought.

The tiger carried them through the tunnels of the strange den, past what appeared to be open gaps in the walls where he could see the setting sun in the distance. Various other animals scattered in their passing, with none willing to stand in the way of the tiger. Soon, the tiger took them up a wooden slope, and into a smaller den area where a single opening to the outside let in some light. With almost a bored sigh, the tiger threw the both of them onto a large flat surface which felt soft under Nick's paws.

"Stay on the bed, or I'm finding a newspaper to smack you both with." The tiger pointed at each of them, as though trying to emphasize that they were the ones he was threatening. "The next fox who mounts anything is getting a leash put on them until they sober up. By my stripes, the things that come out of my mouth talking to you two… I hope you both remember all of this, so I can rub it in."

Looking around, Nick's attention locked onto the small amount of daylight still entering the den from an opening in one wall. The distance was not too great. One good jump…

"Don't you do it, Nick. I'm not even going to stop you."

Hunkering down, Nick leapt at the opening in the wall. He would be out the squarish opening in seconds and far from the tiger. What he did not expect was slamming into an all-but-invisible wall in the opening, which stopped his jump abruptly with a yelp. When he was able to focus his eyes again, he could see a long smear of drool on an almost clear barrier between the den and the outside. He was so dazed by his impact, he barely noticed the tiger place him right back on the soft surface near the white fox, who was staring at him with unrestrained amusement.

Nick yipped and paced around the top of the soft surface—the "bed"—and began pulling at the padding to bunch it up into a better nest. The white fox initially avoided him, but soon joined him in setting up the nest, curling up alongside him once he settled in.

"All right, now we get to the waiting portion. Rolen claims you two will be fine in a couple hours," the tiger said, pulling up something which it sat down on, alongside the only real exit from the room. "Get some sleep. I'm already dreading explaining to Katrina why there's a fox-shaped splatter on the window."

Nick nestled into the pile of soft materials, then glared over at the "window." The tiger was not wrong. Anyone looking would recognize the fur and spittle shape as him having crashed into the trap.

For a long time, Nick lay beside the white fox, watching the tiger as he reclined. The light through the "window" faded gradually, until only a small flickering light overhead kept the den from proper darkness. Bit by bit, Nick felt more awake and aware, while the tiger grew less and less attentive. An opportunity to escape would come eventually. Every so often, he checked the vixen, and found she was likewise poised and ready to move, deferring to him for the cue to go.

The tiger blocking the den's entrance eventually let his guard down late into the night, when a female tiger showed up to bring him a drink. The two exchanged several long meaningful glances—rather disgusting to Nick—and whispered to one another, their attention no longer on the foxes being held captive.

A single sideways look to the vixen and she braced herself to move. They knew the moment was on them and were both ready.

Nick launched himself with as little visual warning as he could manage, darting for the den's entrance. He hit the ground running, and managed to make it past both tigers before they could react. Still running, he looked over to find that his companion had escaped, too. They were free, or far closer to it. With luck, they could find a way back to the woods and be gone before any more large predators came after them.

They raced down the uneven wooden slope, with Nick fully intending to seek out any open window or other route of escape, but as he reached the lower level of the winding den, he slid to a stop. Sniffing, he picked up an all too familiar scent: Rabbits. They had not yet gotten away. A grumbling in his stomach reminded him how long it had been since he had eaten, making the scent that much more enticing.

Escaping the trap the tigers and lion had set was definitely a priority, but if he could do it while picking up a snack on the way out, it would be that much better. No tiger would expect them to double-back, and certainly no tiger was a match for the cleverness of a fox. Checking on the vixen, he found she had a similarly-predatory look in her eyes. She had the same thoughts he did.

Nick rubbed himself against the wall near where he could smell the outside clearly, leaving a decoy trail for the tigers he already heard moving around nearby. Once he was certain they would think he had gone that way, he led the vixen around to a dark section of the den, near the slope they had taken down from the upper area. They waited there silently, until the two tigers came past in a rush, sniffing and searching the shadows. Soon, the tigers passed by, searching the many side-tunnels within the den.

With the path clear, Nick led the way back up the stairs, creeping right up to the opening of an area like the one the tigers had held them in. There, he could see a wolf, a leopard, and a fossa sitting around, making calm noises at each other. Why they were not trying to kill each other or flee the tigers nearby, Nick could not imagine. What he did know for certain was that they were the ones keeping him from the rabbits.

Across from the three predators, two bunnies lay on a nest not unlike the one Nick and the vixen had used, wrapped in a blanket. Long ears stuck up out of the blankets, with twitching noses and wide eyes letting him know the rabbits were well aware that they were surrounded by predators.

 _This will be too easy_ , Nick thought, the words forming more clearly than they had earlier. _Distract the predators, and we can drag the bunnies into the night. We kill them quickly before they cry out, or make us question our decision._

Nick hunkered down outside the room, waiting for his chance. It took all his willpower to keep from drooling as he stared down the doe on the bed, ready to pounce her and rip her throat out. He would have to be quick when the time came, lest he lose his resolve like he did earlier. With luck, he could get to her swiftly and break her neck before the predators were even aware.

The moment came quicker than Nick had expected, as the wolf turned to nuzzle the fossa's neck—clearly a half-hearted attack—and the leopard looked away, appearing on the verge of nausea. Whatever the reasons, it left the path between the foxes and rabbits open.

Nick's paws skittered on the wooden floor as he accelerated, with the vixen at his side. They raced across the gap, the bunnies going even more wide-eyed with every stride. They hunkered down in the blankets, trying to make themselves less visible, but there was no longer any point as the foxes reached the edge of the bedding and leapt onto it, diving straight for the rabbits.

His jaws closing over the neck of the female rabbit, Nick had her dragged almost to the edge of the bedding before the three nearby predators noticed him and began to react.

 _No time to kill_ , he chided himself, quickly calculating a convoluted path out of the den that would trip up the larger mammals. _If the vixen dies, that's on her. Less to share._

Diving from the bed with his meal in his mouth, Nick turned sharply to his right, forcing the leopard off-balance. He cut around the wooden post of the bedding, avoiding the reaching paws of the fossa, while the wolf struggled to reach some kind of wooden barrier to trap them, but he was too slow with one hind paw wrapped in cloth.

Nick dug in his claws and raced out of the den before the slamming of the wooden barrier. Glancing back, he found that his vixen was right at his heels with her own rabbit. Perhaps they would not starve, after all.

Leading the way through the dark passages, Nick made his way by vague memory to a dark corner of the tunnel, where another den like the last few lay open. There, he dove for cover under the bedding, where the fabric hanging from it covered their hiding place. With luck, the predators would take time to find them, and by then they would at least be able to fill their bellies.

Nick settled into the dark under the bedding, as the vixen slid in alongside him. Together, they circled their rabbit meals, forcing them to huddle and cower.

Lowering his stomach and chest to the floor, Nick studied his meal, as she watched him back. The fear had faded somewhat from her face, though the incessant nose-twitching continued. She should end up dismembered and eaten for that, if nothing else. He set his mind to the attack, keeping his body sideways to block any thoughts of running.

 _One bite, and she's not a trembling rabbit anymore, but meat. Just strike. Dig your fangs into her throat and end this. You're being weak, Nick._

He inched closer, and the rabbit sunk lower to the floor, with nowhere to back away to other than over top of the buck. Opening his mouth, he bared his teeth, making certain the rabbit could see every one of them clearly. He wanted her to know she was about to be torn apart, and to smell her fear. Instead, he picked up no change in her scent, the continuous mild fear remaining steady. To augment his appearance, Nick growled, only to get a slight head cock from the rabbit. Still, there was no strong fear scent, and if anything, she had adjusted to a more comfortable stance.

Now curious about why the rabbit was not all but dropping dead of terror, Nick slid closer, until he loomed over her. He could bite her without moving more than his head, but he instead found himself looking into her huge eyes, trying to decide why she was only mildly afraid of him. He growled again, this time bringing his muzzle right up to her nose.

The doe trembled, but tentatively raised her face until she delicately licked his nose with the tip of her tongue. The very gentle gesture startled him, and he backed off, staring in a mix of confusion and fear at a rabbit who would dare act that way with a fox. If she did not fear him, there had to be a reason. Somehow, she was dangerous. She had to be. There was no other explanation.

Each small movement away from the bunny Nick took, she took an equal one toward him, until he found himself pressed against the wooden post holding up the squishy bedding above them. He flinched, looking around for an escape, only to find that the bunny had advanced again, this time so that she was right up against him, her nose touching his.

 _This is it_ , he thought, waiting for the attack. _First fox to ever be killed by a bunny._

Across the bunny's back, Nick could see that the white vixen had done what he could not. She had tackled the male rabbit and had her mouth on his…

 _That's not killing him_ , Nick thought, eyes widening in horror. _She's grooming his muzzle playfully. I'm going to die to a rabbit, and that pale-furred idiot is licking him like he's her mate._

As Nick stared pleadingly at the vixen, she picked up the rabbit and carried him to the corner of the room. They curled up together, with the rabbit nestling against her fur. There was no more fear or confrontation between them. They were simply happy to cuddle—which left Nick dealing with his own terrifying situation.

The bunny in front of Nick watched him intently, and he found himself slinking as far as he could from her. She advanced with him, again touching her nose to his. It was as though she were trying to figure out why he refused to kill her—something he was wondering, too.

They sat perfectly still, aside from the bunny's endless nose wiggling, for some time, while the sounds of faint snoring from the other fox and bunny filled the room. Slowly, the bunny in front of him settled into a relaxed seated position, her ears high as she studied him. After a few more seconds, she reached up with one paw and patted his chest.

 _Kill her_ , Nick demanded up himself, staring into the rabbit's eyes. It was almost hypnotic the way her eyes caught the light, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to study her, to learn why she made him not want to rip her apart. _Do it. Bite her. She is food. Do not show weakness._

Nick forced his jaw to unclench and opened his mouth, trying to force himself to strike. Before he could convince himself, the rabbit actually hopped a little closer, sliding under his chin. He froze, unsure what to do, even as the bunny curled up against his shoulder, her cheek pressed against the side of his neck. He tilted his head to look down at her, as she finished settling into a fluffy ball, her ears flat along her back and her eyes closed as she seemed to attempt to sleep.

 _Those huge eyes are not watching_ , Nick told himself, taking a deep breath and absorbing the scent of rabbit. _Attack now. She's been hypnotizing you. Kill her before it's too late._

Keeping his body still to avoid waking the rabbit, Nick twisted his neck until he brought his muzzle over her head. One quick snap of his teeth and the horror of this night would end. Somewhere, he could hear the larger predators looking for him, but that was a concern for after he had gotten to eat. The bunny needed to die. There was no room left for delay. If he waited, the lion, tigers, and bear might be able to steal his kill from him.

Inching his muzzle lower, Nick could feel his own breath bouncing off the top of the rabbit's head, but she did not look up. Her spine was exposed and easily bitten. He could almost taste her. Lowering his mouth, he spread his jaw so his fangs were on either side of the bunny's neck. Her fur brushed his tongue as he tried desperately to force himself to close his mouth and end her life.

"Nick! Where are you?" shouted someone nearby, and the tone seemed overly familiar.

 _Almost out of time_ , Nick reminded himself, as his mouth began to dry out, still poised over the rabbit. _Now or never._

Nick brought his jaws down on the rabbit's neck, feeling the fur settle into his mouth. It was soft, reminding him of something his mind could not quite put together. As much as he wanted to dig in his teeth, he could not make himself do it. Even with his mouth on her, the rabbit seemed entirely calm, though she had opened her eyes to look up at him.

Grumbling, Nick took his mouth off the rabbit and moved to bring his face even with hers. Now, he wanted nothing more than to see her fear. She only had to cower and he could make himself kill her. Instead, she rocked back onto her hind legs, and batted at his muzzle with her forepaw.

Nick had no idea what to do anymore. The lovely creature—lovely food, in his mind—was watching him as though trying to get his attention.

Unable to convince himself to hurt the rabbit, Nick did the only thing left to him aside from running: He licked her face. Instead of cowering at the gesture, the rabbit seemed to be encouraged by it. She dropped back to all fours and nestled against him, sliding the bulk of her body between his fore and hind legs, all but shielding herself from the world using him.

The sounds of the other predators approaching warned Nick he was out of time. They were nearing his hiding place, and the white vixen was going to be no help, still nuzzling the bunny beside her.

Nick moved his hind leg forward slightly, helping cover the bunny. He then brought his tail over her, completely concealing all but her ears from anyone coming to take her from him. He braced himself, watching the entrance to the den for anyone entering, while keeping his hackles raised, ready to challenge anything that sought to take from him. He might not understand his feelings, but she wanted to be protected, so she was going to be protected.

Several seconds later, the large paws of the leopard appeared. As the predator moved into the closed space where Nick and his fellow fox had chosen to hide, Nick watched the hind paws of the tiger also enter. There was little chance of escaping now, though the rabbit he was guarding looked as though she had no intention of even trying. That left him no choice but to hold his ground.

"They're in here," the leopard announced, and Nick saw the wooden barrier shut, sealing the den completely. "Be ready for anything, Markus."

The tiger held his ground near the exit. "If you're saying what I think you're saying, I won't ever be ready for it. Katrina is staying downstairs, afraid of what we're going to find."

Nick watched as the leopard slowly lowered himself to the floor, until the feline face was looking right at him.

"Yeah, they're here," the leopard announced, remaining at the edge of the bedding. "I don't see the bunnies, though."

Nick shot a quick look toward the white fox, finding that she had pushed her own rabbit behind her. The small brown morsel was likely not visible from where the leopard lay. His own rabbit was not quite so hidden, but she had lowered her ears, leaving very little of her gray fur above his tail.

"Is there… Do you see any blood?" the tiger asked, and Nick could hear the fear in its voice.

"Not yet," the leopard replied, inching under the shadow of the bedding. Nick immediately began growling, but the leopard did not stop. "They're protecting something."

"Protecting meals or… Dammit, Felix, don't tell me. Just drag them out here."

Nick locked eyes with the leopard, baring his teeth in the hope of stopping it where it was. Unfortunately, the leopard slid closer, forcing Nick to back away. He tucked the rabbit between his front legs, pulling her with him while he still remained low to the floor. If he had to run, he would have to scruff her again, and that would slow him considerably.

"Hopps is still alive," the leopard said, his ears shooting up and his expression softening. "He's not letting her go, but he's got her. No visible injuries. I think she's trying to stay near him."

Nick moved a little farther from the leopard, and resorted to picking up his rabbit in his teeth when she did not move fast enough. Beside him, the arctic vixen had likewise picked up her bunny. Together, they backed away from the new threat, inching tail-first out from under the bedding.

Strong paws came down hard on Nick's tail, and he yelped as he scraped his paws on the floor, trying to free himself. He only realized he had lost his grip on the rabbit when he hung over her, dangling from his tail. Twisting, he confirmed that the tiger had snuck around and now held both him and the vixen off the floor. Below them, the two rabbits stared up, seemingly confused by the abrupt change in situation.

"No one's dead, so I'll take that as a good sign," the tiger said, easing his iron grip on Nick's tail ever so slightly. "Felix, let's get them separated again."

On the floor, the two bunnies stood up on their hind legs, reaching as high as they could with their noses and forepaws toward Nick and the other fox. This did not go unnoticed by the tiger, who lifted the foxes higher and stared in confusion at the rabbits.

"I…I don't even have words for this," the tiger mumbled, sighing. "Please tell me you two aren't actually wanting to get eaten."

In response, the doe let out a very faint cooing noise, and pawed at the tiger's leg, without taking her attention off Nick.

The leopard slid out from under the bedding, then said, "I saw them under the effects of this once before. If there's any eating going to happen between them, it's not what you're thinking."

A faint whine from the tiger preceded him lowering Nick and the vixen nearly to the floor. "I'm begging you, Felix. Do not explain."

"I wouldn't recommend letting Nick and Zippy hang out, but from what I've seen, Nick and Fluff are fine." The leopard sat down on the floor, and picked up the female bunny. The simple gesture made Nick initially feel as though he needed to protect his meal, but the desire to attack the leopard felt more like he was defending a mate. "I think we'll have better luck keeping the right pairs together and just leave someone to make sure no one gets hungry during the night, but it's not like anyone listens to me."

"Felix, I heard you the first eight times you told Carl," the tiger countered, dropping Nick to the floor. "So you think he won't try to eat her?"

The leopard eyed Nick warily, then set the bunny down in front of him. "So long as they're both dressed…"

"Felix!"

"Fine, no. I don't think anyone's getting bitten. I'll take these two back into the other room, where the newest lovebirds can watch these two be cute. You can watch the other pair."

Gingerly, Nick picked back up the rabbit in his mouth, unsure if the larger predators were intending to take her away. Thankfully, the leopard scooped them up with no indication he meant to attack, carrying them into the room with the fossa and wolf, where he placed Nick and the rabbit onto the large soft pile of bedding. With an almost teasing smirk, the leopard removed the rabbit from Nick's mouth and tucked them both into the blankets. They were beside each other—close enough for Nick to feel her warmth through the blankets—but not quite able to touch without digging their way out of the cloth surrounding them.

"There you go," the leopard—Felix—said to the wolf, flashing a quick grin. "Enjoy your obstinate new wards. Not my problem anymore."

"Wait, what?" asked the wolf, looking up from staring into the fossa's eyes. "You're kidding…right?"

"Nope." The leopard made his way to the exit from the den, then stopped. "Carl, if either one of them ends up getting hurt, I will slap the hell out of you in the morning. Pick your own priorities."

Nick hunkered down in the bedding, trying to keep anything but his muzzle from being visible to the wolf, who now glowered at both him and the rabbit. Beside him, the fossa seemed all too amused by the situation.

Squirming, Nick felt around under the blankets with his paws, trying to find some way of slipping out from under them without heading straight toward the wolf. To his surprise, as he was searching, he found that the bunny was doing the same, and their paws came together. She glanced sideways, still clearly nervous about him being so close, but she made no attempt to get away.

Nick had two choices the way he saw things. Run, or accept his fate. Running meant abandoning the strange rabbit who had no fear of him and who he did not want to hurt. Accepting meant the wolf was probably going to kill him, sooner or later.

Easing one of his legs over to the rabbit as slowly as he could to avoid drawing the attention of the wolf, Nick pulled her against his chest. The movement took an hour or better to make it look like he was staying still, but in the end he was able to lay down and sleep with her nestled against him under the blankets.

 _I might be about to die, but at least this feels right._

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.4 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 28** **th** **, Saturday Morning – Groewl Estate, Northern Ursian Lands**

Judy woke sharply, keenly aware that she was pressed against another animal under blankets in the dark room. Her mind raced, trying to sort through the fractured memories of the night, though most were fuzzy as though she had blacked out. The last thing she remembered was sitting near Harry as they talked with Rolen.

She held still at first, absolutely horrified that she might have gone feral enough to consider Harry a viable sleeping partner. Horror at the idea she might have had sex with him—potentially in front of Nick—made her sick to her stomach. Without moving, she did a quick mental checklist.

 _Pants and shirt are still on, so that's a good sign_ , she thought. _Nothing feels like I did anything I'll regret. Paws feel like I've been running around like an idiot. Heart's still racing. I remember Nick attacking us…_

Judy's eyes widened as she pieced together flashes of Nick and Skye tackling her and Harry. She remembered teeth everywhere, then everything else was a blur of fear. If she were in the places of her coworkers, she would have tucked her in with Harry, if only to protect them from the others. That meant she might not have made any _big_ mistakes, but there was a good chance she was going to remember something awkward sooner or later. All she could think of was her last bout of Night Howlers, when she had assaulted Nick, trying to mount him. If that had happened with Harry, she was going to owe him a huge apology, and that was about the last thing she wanted to do. Worse still, it would make her issues with Nick that much more difficult to resolve.

Afraid of what she might find, Judy twisted in the blankets, trying to figure out whose arm was holding her tightly at her waist. Her mind was still too muddled to rationally piece things together, so she needed to actually see for herself what she had gotten into.

Lying on his side behind her, Nick was still asleep, with his muzzle resting atop her head, between her ears. As she moved, his nose twitched, but he remained softly snoring.

"G'morning," whispered Carl, across the room. In his arms, the fossa, Cyndi, was sleeping. "I'm not sure we're quite to dawn yet. You know who I am?"

Judy nodded and tried to slide free of Nick's arms, but found herself completely trapped. When she attempted to loosen his grip, he pulled her even closer to his chest. This was certainly not unwelcome, but it was more than a little unprofessional. After the long night, she really wanted to distance herself from anyone. "How long was I out?"

"About six hours since you were last trying to escape the scary fox, and up and decided he was cuddly, despite the teeth. Eight since you first decided to go drinking with Rolen."

"Did I do anything…stupid?" she asked, scared of the answer.

"You bit me when I tried to pry you out of Nick's arms. Does that count? I didn't even know bunnies could growl, but you proved me wrong."

Judy cringed and buried her face in the blankets. "I'm sorry. That wasn't really me."

"Whatever. That's far less than could have come from all this. Hopefully, Stan's gotten some answers from Rolen since you and the cuddlefox bedded down."

Judy opened her mouth to object, only to have Nick begin licking the back of her head. She closed her mouth quickly, realizing there was no point in arguing the description. Judging by the way his hips were pressed against her and the rather firm pressure against her tail, he was not awake enough to even realize where they were or that they had an audience. Drawing attention to it would only make matters worse, so she kept the blankets over them to ensure Carl could see nothing embarrassing.

"Was there anything either of us did that…that we need to know about?" she asked, and felt Nick freeze behind her. He was apparently starting to wake up. "Are the others okay? Anyone get hurt?"

Carl checked the fossa sleeping against him, then looked back at Judy. "I'm guessing you're asking more about the sort of thing that happened the last time you went savage, rather than whether either of you bit anyone? Yeah, it was about the same as last time you and him were locked in a room with Howlers involved. I was worried I'd have to take a hose to you two, but I kept you both honest—mostly because it's funny to see how frustrated Nick gets. You both seemed reluctant to only settle for cuddling. If I ever travel with you both again, I'm investing in a fox-sized chastity belt. He did have a chance with Snow, and decided to leave her alone. Zippy and Snow…that's another matter. She was obsessively grooming him to the point we had concerns he was going to lose some fur. I have a feeling they're going to be in a weird place for a few days until they sort it out."

Judy shook her head, unsure what to really say. With some effort, she managed to pry herself free of Nick's grip and slid out from under the covers. Checking her clothing, she found a great many small tears around the torso, likely from one or both of them trying to get rid of the fabric. None were bad enough to warrant replacing anything, especially as a slave, so she dropped off the bed onto her hind paws.

"Rolen did it on purpose, didn't he?" she asked, getting a curt nod from Carl. "I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore."

"When you're ready, head downstairs. Felix and Stan have him under guard, though he might not be awake yet."

Judy stood up on her tiptoes to see if Nick was awake enough to come with her, but he had gone back to sleep already. As she watched, he pawed at the spot where she had been. It made her feel guilty, knowing they had an unfinished conversation waiting, which was now even more complicated after the long night. It would have to wait until everyone was up, and probably after a far more difficult talk between Skye and Harry.

Reaching up onto the bed, Judy smoothed Nick's matted facial fur, wishing she could make herself actually kiss him in his sleep. It felt wrong to do until after she had sat him down and sorted through their issues. For the moment, she had to stick to her job. Hopefully soon, the separation could be brought to a very abrupt end.

"They still keeping him in the servants' quarters?" she asked, looking back at Carl. To her surprise, Cyndi had woken and was watching Judy. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Cyndi shrugged and sat up. "No need to apologize. After the things I said about you bunnies… I'm the one owing an apology. Carl told me more about where you're from and I realize I don't understand anything about prey like you. Katrina briefed us all on why you are here and that you aren't from Ursian lands. I didn't even know there was much of an outside world. A lot has changed for me in the last day."

Judy walked over to stand in front of the pair and held out one paw. "In that case, Officer Judy Hopps. Pleased to meet you."

The fossa's eyes widened slightly, and she turned to Carl, as though trying to confirm what Judy was saying. He nodded and smirked, and she finally reached out to take Judy's paw. "Cyndi Clawd. I don't even know what to say."

"Say you've got our backs if Rolen tries something again, and that's more than enough for me," Judy offered, giving her best cheerful grin.

"You have my word." Cyndi still looked a little uneasy. "I've seen his soldiers hurt too many to not help, though this is not how I expected that to go. Are you… I thought Carl or the others were in charge…"

"We're sort of trading roles as we go," admitted Carl, gently stroking the top of Cyndi's head between her ears. "Judy here is officially the one in charge. Nick over there is her second and is her—actually, I need help, Judy. I don't know what to call you two."

"My fellow officer, Nick Wilde," Judy said, a bit more sharply than intended. "It's complicated."

Cyndi glanced over at Carl, then back to Judy with a warmer smile. "Isn't it always? I was a nurse before the soldiers came for my family. I saw Carl at the medical center, right before I had to run away. Now, I'll go with 'complicated.'"

Judy felt abruptly awkward, feeling as though anything she added was going to belittle the budding relationship in front of her, in light of how things were going between her and Nick. Excusing herself, she slid out of the room and hurried down the hall toward the stairs. She began to pass the room where Nick and Skye had originally been staying, but stopped when she realized it was where she had seen Skye and Harry taken during the earlier part of the night.

Pushing open the ajar door, Judy found Skye in one corner of the room, staring at the floor, but not seeing it. In the far corner, Harry was huddled under a blanket with only his eyes and nose showing, eyes darting about as he appeared to argue with himself. Neither was looking at the other. Near the door, Markus was fast asleep in a chair, a thin line of drool running down his jaw.

Judy stayed in the doorway for several seconds, debating whether to say anything, but she was spared the need to when Skye looked up at her. The vixen nearly leapt to her hind paws and raced over to the door.

"Where are we needed?" Skye asked, stumbling over her words in her hurry. "Tell me what to do."

"You could rest a little longer," Judy replied, but the horror on Skye's face left little doubt that she had no intention of doing so. "I'm going down to check on Rolen."

"I'll come with!" Skye snapped, all but ushering Judy out of the room and following.

The two hurried down the hall and made their way down the house's main steps in silence. When they reached the bottom, Judy looked over at Skye, taking note of the brown rabbit fur all across the front of her clothing.

"Don't even ask," the vixen replied to the unspoken remarks. "I crossed that line. I tried everything to get Harry to look at me the way Nick looks at you. I remember every stupid thing I did. The way he reacted when we woke up, I can't imagine him ever taking me seriously again."

Judy swallowed hard and slowed their walk through the front hall of the house. "So…you _do_ have feelings for him?"

"I told you not to ask."

Judy stopped and waited, knowing more was coming sooner or later. Skye simply could not stop fidgeting and avoiding eye contact.

"Fine!" Skye finally snapped. "Yes, I have some unresolved feelings of responsibility for and to him. It's not the same as what you're thinking. I don't want to sleep with him. Okay, maybe a little bit, but it's probably idle curiosity. I just… It's not the same. Stop looking at me that way."

"Maybe we should start with why you're telling me, of all animals. We didn't exactly hit it off, and I still owe you a series of aimed kicks to the jaw for what you did to Nick."

Skye grumbled and hugged herself. "I don't know. I'm not used to feeling helpless or emotional. I thought maybe…"

"You thought an emotional little bunny knows more about being helpless?"

Skye closed her eyes and appeared to be on the verge of tearing up. "That's not what I meant at all. This is why I shouldn't be talking to anyone about it. I'm bad at this. Forget I mentioned it at all. I attacked Harry last night, and that's the story we're sticking to."

Judy remained quiet for several minutes, listening to Skye's hind paw pads scraping the floor as she fidgeted. Finally, Judy could not take it anymore, and asked, "Do you actually want advice? Or do you just want me to tell you this will go away in time?"

"The latter would be better."

"Well, it won't," Judy said. Skye's hopeless whimper actually made her feel slightly guilty, but this needed to be said. "If you have feelings for him, that doesn't change just because you ignore them."

"It seems to be working for you," Skye blurted out, then quickly added, "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I want to know how you're putting aside your feelings. I know you love Nick, and you managed to push him away for the sake of the mission. I thought I could do that, but I'm struggling. How do I get through this, at least until we're done?"

Judy rubbed her face, wishing she could be almost anywhere else in the world. "There isn't a way to stop caring. Every time Nick looks at me, I want to beg him to forgive me for thinking this was the right way. You want the worry and panic to stop? Talk to him. That's all there is. Until you do, I doubt the two of you can possibly work well together. You can't even look at him."

Skye paced in the dark hall, nervously picking bits of rabbit fur off her clothing. "What if he tells me I went too far? What if he hates me for it? I already told him I don't love him, after he blurted out some stupid romantic crap. Now I went and turned the tables. How do I get him to forget about this?"

"Let's start with how you _actually_ feel." Judy leaned against the wall, struggling to find the strength to keep up this conversation without outright laughing at Skye. "You said you don't love him."

"I told him that, yes."

"And were you lying?"

Skye's attention snapped to Judy's face, and her eyes narrowed. "I don't love anyone. It's one of the first lessons the ZBI taught me. The agent who got me out of these lands emphasized that over and over, citing how he left his own wife and child for the sake of the job. I love my city and the mammals I am protecting. Anything else gets in the way."

"That might be the least elegant attempt to dodge answering a question I've heard yet, and I lived with Nick. I know all the tricks foxes use, and you're not even putting effort into it. Want to try again?"

"No?"

"Okay, let's try this another way. What are the feelings you do have for him?"

Skye's shoulders sank. "I don't know. I worry about him getting hurt. I blame myself for the things that he has gone through. When I can't find him, I wonder if he's dead somewhere, and start panicking. I would not call that love."

"It might not be, but it is something. Is he your friend?"

"I guess. As much as anyone is."

Judy took a slow breath to keep from yelling at Skye for her continued evasiveness. "You at least love him as a friend. It may not be romantic love, but it's some kind of love. Can we maybe call it platonic love and move on?"

Skye let out a soft whine and nodded. "Fine. Yes. That's probably close enough to the truth, though after last night, I'm not even sure that's correct."

"Okay, that's not so complicated," Judy said, smiling at having finally reached a good stopping point. "You love your friend. Nothing bad about that. Just let him know that's what it is…"

"I might not be being entirely honest," Skye blurted out, covering her face.

 _I'm never making it out of this hallway_ , Judy thought, suppressing the desire to slap the vixen. "Okay, let's try one more time. Spell it out for me. Dumb bunny and all that."

"Let's just say I tried to do…things…when I was under the influence," Skye whispered, keeping her face covered. "I know you think he'd be the one to instigate, but…he's not."

Judy's ears shot up and her skin went cold. "You tried…um…like at the shooting range?"

"Not exactly. Sort of. I guess. Maybe. I remember trying to convince him. I certainly wasn't trying to force him to do anything, but I was really trying hard to change his mind."

Judy let out a slow whistle. "This is going to be a lot more difficult than I thought. Have you ever tried to pressure someone when sober?"

"No, of course…" Skye trailed off, then dropped her paws. "Nick. You know I tried to convince him. I was just trying to prove a point, but—"

Without thinking about it, Judy punched Skye as hard as she could, hitting the vixen just below the ribs. Skye collapsed in a heap and fought to keep from vomiting on the floor.

"That," Judy began, grabbing Skye by the ear to force her face up, "is for making me worry. Nick can take care of himself. It's also for Harry, as I know he won't stand up for himself against you. Now that you feel about how I did after you convinced him to attack me, are you willing to actually take some orders for a change?"

"Yes," Skye wheezed, one arm still clamped to her stomach.

"Go upstairs and talk to him. That's not a request. I was put in charge of this mission because no one trusts you. I haven't exercised that authority nearly enough. March your tail up those stairs, sit down, and apologize. What happens from there is up to you two."

Skye stared at Judy for several seconds, then nodded sadly. Swallowing hard, she got to her hind paws and took a breath with her paw still on her stomach. "I never will get used to a bunny who can put that much force into a swing. Assuming I ever resume my job as a recruit trainer…how do you manage it?"

"It's all in the legs," Judy replied, softening her tone only slightly. "Hips, legs, then hind paws behind the swing. I can usually take Nick off his paws in training, and you weigh less. The one time I tried swinging from the shoulder, he laughed it off. Anything bigger than a fox, I need to get a running start and kick them."

Skye thanked her, then straightened her shoulders and set off back up the stairs toward where they had left Harry.

 _Sweet cheese and crackers, is Markus really the only one of us who isn't absolutely insane?_ Judy asked herself, once Skye's tail had vanished into the bedroom. _I need to never sign up to be the responsible adult again. This will drive me back to drinking_.

Turning on her heel, Judy entered the dining room, where Katrina was sitting alone by a single candle, holding a cup of what smelled like tea, though the scent of wine lingered in the room. Judy froze, unsure how to act after spending most of the last day without the guise of being a slave. Slowly, she adjusted her posture, lowering her eyes and ears, before trying to slowly sneak back out of the room.

"Don't even bother, Fluff," the tigress said, without looking up. "Markus explained most of it to me, when I recommended tying you and Zippy to a post in the yard to be hosed off. Twelve years with my husband, listening to his nonsensical babble about a city in the north where even prey were considered citizens. Now, I find out my own home is their base of operations."

"Are we okay?" Judy asked nervously, eyeing the door in the back of the room, which would take her to where Rolen was being held.

"You are, but I'm not," she replied. "Go, do what you need to. I'm still sorting through it all."

"It's the idea of Zippy and I being free, isn't it?"

Katrina smiled and finally looked at Judy. "It should be, but it's not. I've treated my servants as family my whole life. This is a small step. It's the idea that you all will disappear once you are finished that has me struggling. I keep track of every mammal I smuggle through my home for as long as I can, because I worry about them. I doubt I will be able to contact any of you once you're gone. I don't even know who any of you really are."

Judy straightened as she realized what Katrina was saying. "This is about Markus?"

"Of course. That fool can't take care of himself. Who's going to watch out for him? He's hopeless without a good female to show him the way."

"He's a retired soldier…"

"That means remarkably little," the tigress replied, giving Judy a sly grin. "Run along. This is not a matter for a cute little bunny. I will figure it out on my own."

Judy's left ear dropped into a half-cocked position as she glowered, trying not to blurt out the rant that came all too easy back home. "Yes, ma'am."

"And stop that nonsense," Katrina added. "I only make my own servants maintain formalities to hide my work here. I'll not have a free animal acting as though I was better than them, prey or not."

"But you told Markus—"

"I told him many things. Not all of them were true or how I actually felt. Best way to learn a male's feelings on a topic is to argue strongly opposite of what you think his opinions are. Keep that in mind for the future. In the meantime, I owe you the largest apology, ever."

"You really don't."

"I certainly do," Katrina insisted, giving Judy a sad sidelong glance. "I have treated my servants well, but never considered prey's thoughts before today. Now, I find myself having to go through everything I did around you and Zippy in my mind, putting myself in your place. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror of seeing us eat one of your own. I am so very sorry, Fluff."

Judy shivered at the mention of the bunny meat, and felt briefly sick. Deep down, she was afraid to let herself wonder how Nick was dealing with that. "Apology accepted. I know you didn't mean any harm to any of us."

"That doesn't make it okay. So many things are different than I believed as recently as last night. Even… Oh…wait…the conflict between you and your master? Was that real?"

Judy's ears fell as she gave a nervous smirk. "Small conflict, but he is—or was—my boyfriend."

Katrina stared at Judy for several long seconds, then shook her head as she chuckled. "Run along before I ask you things my mother would have scolded me for even thinking outside a bedroom with a spouse. I'll stick to problems closer to what I am familiar with. Everything about your group is well outside my area of expertise. Right now, I should be concentrating on ensuring Rolen does not kill everyone I've ever met, should he get free."

Judy thanked Katrina, then quickly darted out the back of the room and into the kitchen. She rushed through the remaining halls—avoiding any more weird conversations with anyone who might be waiting to ambush her along the way—and finally arrived in the servants' sleeping quarters. There, Stan and Felix sat across from Rolen, who was curled up on the floor using his suit's coat as a pillow, snoring loudly. Both officers held pistols on their laps, ready in case of anything.

"Is everything all right?" Judy asked, as she marched into the room.

Felix watched her approach, then said, "I kind of want to ask you that. Everyone intact? Did Carl manage to keep his attention on you both, instead of that… Instead of Cyndi?"

"He kept us safe. Everything's fine except a small amount of pride," she answered, walking over to the two ZPD officers. "He cause any more trouble?"

"I did not," Rolen replied abruptly, cutting off Delgato's attempt to say anything. "Lightly sleeping has become a habit since the first ZBI attacks."

Judy looked over at Stan, and he nodded, letting her know Rolen was being honest about not causing trouble.

Rolen sat up, rubbing his muzzle with one huge paw. "All four of you surviving is quite the feat. I did say that this was meant to be a learning experience."

"And what did you learn?"

Rolen's brows came up and he shrugged. "I did not say I intended to learn anything. Consider this a gift. What have you learned about yourself and Wilde?"

"None of your business."

The look of annoyed frustration Rolen gave her was unmistakable. "You're cheating yourself out of self-analysis. I saw how you two were when I was taken captive. May I speculate?"

Judy turned to Stan, who whispered, "It's your turn. He spent almost four hours studying me. I can shut him up if you want. Just say the word. This is taking all my determination not to kill him. If I thought he didn't need kneecaps, he'd have already been shot."

Judy shook her head. "If I can't take him talking, I need thicker skin. Besides, he didn't get to you two, so I'm fine."

"Get to them? Maybe not, but I was able to guess at a great many aspects of their lives," Rolen noted. "When I saw you and the fox in the city, you both threw your lives in front of me to save the other. Rather touching."

"ZPD loyalty," Judy said, putting her paws on her hips. "Any officer is willing to die for another."

Rolen snorted. "Hardly. You forget, I was standing there when he kissed you. I already knew about the two of you prior to that. You're making this boring."

"That's rather the point. I'm not here to entertain you. I'm here to arrest you."

"Let me explain something about myself," Rolen said, reclining against the wall. "If I am bored, I will find ways to manipulate my bargain and escape. So long as I have something to occupy my mind, I will not. If you don't wish to play my games, simply keep your mouth shut and I will talk to myself. All I ask is that you stay here and let me guess. I can read the answers from your expression."

"I've only got to put up with you another four or five hours until the flight out," she answered, looking to Stan.

"Eight, but close enough," the lion replied. "Milo won't have anything ready until about fifteen hundred."

Judy felt the weight of the mission hit her harder in that moment than she had since the day they arrived, knowing there was half a day left, and Rolen had managed to trick them in less than three hours the day before.

"I'll begin, then," Rolen announced, folding his paws in his lap. He gave Judy a broad smile as he studied her, touching one of his lengthy fangs with his tongue as he pondered. "Despite all your high-minded talk in the past, you worried about the dangers of being involved with a predator…a fox at that."

"Never worried at all," Judy replied, sitting down beside Delagto.

Rolen's chuckle left little doubt of what he thought of her comments. "You lie poorly. I saw the fear again when you were regressing. You knew him, but you also knew he was going to kill you. He thought he would kill you, too. Surprises all around. Apparently your affection is deeper than the rational mind. I may have misjudged."

 _How little he knows_ , Judy mused, tugging at one of her ears nervously, without realizing she was doing it. _So glad he has no idea that I broke it off because of doubts—_

"And yet, now that your minds are your own, you are here and he is there. You know you trust him completely, and you tell me you and he are inseparable…my my. A lovers' spat? Who would've seen that coming?"

Judy clenched her jaw and let her paw drop. _I won't let him get to me. Never let them see that they get to you._

Rolen leaned forward, briefly looking at Stan and then Felix, as though either might interfere. "Did the attraction end so quickly? Only the basest animal desires remain after, what, a month? Two? Perhaps mother and father bunny expressed some concerns about their precious little bun getting hurt, and not just emotionally? Or was it that your adoring fox could never quite give you everything you need from life? Am I close, Officer Hopps?"

Judy lunged sideways, trying to grab for Delgato's pistol, but he planted a firm paw on her forehead, stopping her.

"Ahh, so that's it," Rolen purred, settling back. "That's the breaking point. Please tell me he knows that, too, so I can torment him on the flight back. It's either I talk, or I get bored and begin making escape plans, after all."

Pulling her head out of Delgato's grip, Judy glowered at the pistol, so close, yet well out of her reach. She made a conscious effort to keep her posture and tone neutral as she replied, "We talked. We're fine. Find something else to concern yourself about."

"So he does not understand, but you feel he should. Excellent. I'll give you until we board the plane, then I consider it my only viable hobby to torment Wilde with this topic. I see that as more than fair."

Giving the gun one last glance, Judy straightened her shoulders and forced herself to look Rolen in the eyes. "You promised us the missing pages if we took you with us. We kept up our part. If you tell us they're hidden here after we leave the country, I'm pushing you out of the plane myself."

Rolen's slow-spreading grin accentuated his teeth. "I wondered if you would think to follow-up on that in time. Yes, I owe you that location. I do not believe you will like my answer, though."

"Spit it out. I'm tired of your games."

The grin finally could not get any larger, and Rolen gestured vaguely toward the yard. "The first few pages are with Otto, though I made some alterations to the information in them so he would have to spend more time deciphering them. The last few, I stashed in the car that rescued me from your ambush. Likely, Madeline Ursa has them by now, though she would not know what they are. She's not the brightest of my cousins, but I trust her far more than Otto. Assume she has them in the glovebox."

Stan finally piped up, leaning forward with a low growl. "We have eight hours to find those. How do you expect us to do that?"

"Hardly my problem," Rolen told them, spreading his paws helplessly. "If you really want my advice, I can offer it, but I think you are all quite clever. You'll figure it out on your own."

Judy sat down hard. "He wants us to kill Otto, clearing his way back into control of the region once he escapes us."

"Marvelous how your mind works," Rolen replied, chuckling. "While I would prefer Ursa not die in your attack, I can say that her vehicle will be at the northern gate at noon. Otto will be on his way there to meet with her and discuss the transition of power, where none of the residents can overhear them. It's almost as though I ensured you would have the opportunity to collect both sets of pages on your way out of town."

Judy looked over at Stan. "Where's the sat phone?"

"Here," Felix said from her other side, setting the large phone in her lap. "Just let us know where you want us and when."

Thanking them both, Judy carried the phone out of the room and out to the kitchen. She sat down in the corner, where she hoped she would not be easily seen by anyone passing through. Pulling the oversized phone up to her ear, she pressed the speed-dial programed into it. Three rings later, a familiar squeaky voice picked up.

"Martin's fishery, how can I help you?" asked Milo.

"The pickup may be a problem," Judy said softly.

"Your sardine order? I'm listening."

"Timing is going to be essential. We have a singular opportunity to go after an important target at noon. Where will you be at that time?"

Milo snorted and Judy swore she heard him hit something metallic nearby. "Still fixing up this junker. I need three or four extra hours…for your order."

"You aren't getting four hours," she told him. "How far is the pickup location from the entry to the city?"

"An hour, maybe less."

"We'll be running hard starting at noon. You have until we get there."

"You been getting lessons from the vixen? You sound an awful lot like her right now. Mind telling me why the change in plans?"

Judy closed her eyes and tapped the back of her head against the cabinet. "I'm not going to be able to be subtle with this one. We might have the entire Ursian army coming after us."

"Far too much like Snow. I'll do what I can. No promises."

"Do we have another plan if it's not ready?"

Milo hesitated, and Judy heard the sound of his paws on a metal floor. "We're fleeing on our own hind paws, unless you get us a vehicle. Plane is the only thing that might get us away from their military. A car will only stall things until they chase us down and use mortars or something similar. I don't see that ending well."

"Then get the plane ready in time, even if we're losing pieces of it the whole flight."

Judy hung up without waiting for a reply, and let the phone fall into her lap. This was not going well at all, and now she had to agree to let her team attack and likely kill someone—someone awful, but still a fellow mammal, who they would be attacking in an underhanded way. Yet again, this went strongly against her training.

"I know that look," came Nick's voice, and Judy jumped a little. He stood in the kitchen doorway, having somehow snuck in without her hearing him. "Carefully laid plans falling apart?"

Judy jumped and scooted away from Nick without realizing she was doing it until too late, as memories of him eating bunny meat came back briefly. Once she had control over herself again, she nodded and sniffled, trying to quell the urge to hide and cry until it was time to go. "Rolen's forcing us to kill off his successor. I don't see a way around it."

"And the plane?"

"Won't be ready in time," Judy said, sliding the phone onto the floor. "Nick, I don't want to get your hopes up—"

"Then don't," he replied, coming over and sitting down alongside her. Slowly, he put one arm around her shoulders, the way he did to make her uncomfortable before they were dating. He took the movement cautiously, clearly aware that she was having some kind of reaction to him surprising her before. "You've got a lot on your plate. Let me take some of it."

"This might be the last time we really have alone time to talk about us."

"It can wait. You said so yourself in no uncertain terms. What're the steps we need to figure out? Where are you stuck?"

Judy relaxed into Nick's arm, wishing she could snuggle properly with him. He was right, though, it was not the time for that. "We need to kill or capture Otto, then take and search a car Major Ursa is using. The car is heading to Otto at noon, but Milo won't be ready for us."

Nick stared absently at the wall of the kitchen for more than a minute, then finally said, "Ursa's the one hunting for us already. She knows what I look like."

"Yes. So?"

"Do you think anyone's getting any sleep with Rolen missing and us on the loose?" he asked, smirking. "We take this to them, while they're hunting for us. No one expects the one they're chasing to come after them, especially police or military-types."

"You know that how, Slick?"

"I might have spent a little too much time playing games with the ZPD in my misguided youth," he admitted. "Long and short of it is that Ursa won't see it coming. We take the car, slow her down, then meet up with Otto a little late in the car he's already expecting. He'll want to punish Ursa, so he'll come right to us, as long as he doesn't see who's in the car."

"That's…actually pretty clever."

"It doesn't buy us a lot of extra time, but it'll help. My guess is we won't be able to stall Otto more than an hour, or he'll just leave."

Judy rocked onto her hind paws to lift herself up, and kissed Nick on the cheek. "Thank you. That'll help. You sure you don't want to talk things out?"

"Very," he told her, frowning deeply. "You're right. I understand now. Once we're home, we can sort things out. I've known I needed to back off since we first started working together, but I tried to convince myself no one noticed. Here, I don't have that luxury. I think we can patch everything up in a matter of minutes, but in the middle of a war zone isn't the best place to discuss the future. Until we're off the ground, I'll be the professional you always wanted me to be."

"You say that like it's a pick-up line."

"I won't deny I hoped it worked that way." He gave her a playful wink. "You're making me be all grown up. My mom won't even recognize me at this rate."

"She can thank me herself. I accept gifts of candy and flowers. Maybe even medals of valor."

Nick snickered, shaking his head. "No medals of valor for convincing a fox to change his fur patterns. We're shifty that way. We're always willing to play a part to get what we want."

"And is that what you're doing with me? Playing a part to get what you want? I'll admit, I've wondered occasionally, and it scares me."

Nick took a long deep breath. "No. Even if I really wanted to lie, I'm no good at it with you. I actually want to be a better animal for you. Don't let it go to your head. I'll be back to normal as soon as I can get away with sleeping through Bogo's briefings."

"I'll take what I can get." She curled up against Nick, her ears against his side so she could hear his heartbeat. Just the change in closeness triggered his heart to begin racing, the same way it had the night she had first convinced him to sleep with her. "Even if it is from a shifty fox."

"Carrots, just one question."

"Go for it, Slick."

"I know we're taking a break, but assuming I'm not a truly dumb fox when we get home, are we going to be okay?"

Judy looked up at Nick and grinned. "That's a big assumption…but yes. I think we're going to be fine. I've got a few things from this mission to work through with a therapist, but between that and figuring out if we have a future, I think we can make it work."

"Then I don't mind saying that I love you, no matter what happens."

"I know, Nick."

 _Nothing's changed yet_ , she thought happily, listening to his heart beating furiously. Slowly, it returned to its normal pace. _I can fix the mess I made soon enough, and we can get back to where we were. Thank you for being better at this than I am, Nick. Don't let your dumb bunny trick you into believing for a second she's giving up on you. Once I get my own fears under control, I sure hope you're ready for me to come running right back._

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.5 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 28** **th** **, Saturday Morning – Northern Gates, Northern Ursian Lands**

Nick slid up alongside the edge of the steel-and-stone wall that surrounded the city's fleet of government vehicles. A quick peek through one of the narrow gaps in the wall let him see dozens of trucks like the one they had stashed north of town, as well as several more mundane cars. One in particular drew his attention, as it looked to be the same style as the one Rolen had initially escaped in. He darted to the next gap in the wall, and was able to see the Zootopian license plate still on the front bumper.

 _Just need Madeline to show up, and I can start the game_ , he thought, lowering himself down onto his haunches. With the shadows of the wall, few mammals would be able to spot him, as they seemed to generally avoid any location the government held.

Nick put his back to the wall and did a long slow visual sweep of the streets nearby, making doubly sure no one was watching him. He thought for a second that someone was watching him from an alley across the block, but as he studied the shadows, he was confident no one was there. Once he was certain, he pulled out the radio from his pocket and brought up to his ear.

"In position," he said to the receiver, knowing there would be no reply. Skye and Judy both had earpieces to hear him, but had no way to answer. "The car's here. No sign of the bear yet. For her to get to the gates on time, she'll be leaving within the next half hour."

He put away the radio as soon as he finished speaking. Rising up from his squat, he glanced into the lot, still finding little that mattered to his mission. Again, he felt the gaze of someone on him, but the street seemed almost empty.

 _C'mon, you stupid bear,_ he muttered to himself, grumbling. _I want to be out of here, and you're keeping me here and making me paranoid. Come out, shoot at me a few times, and get with the plan so I can go home and convince my bun that I'm still the only one for her._

Nick sat down again, unsure what to do with himself until it was time for action. For five days, he had been bouncing between acting and running around, with very little time to think. There had been even less time for that since the half-hearted fight with Judy, which had been good for his mood, overall. Thinking on that had been something he had dreaded, and had managed to all but avoid. Now, that was less of an option.

 _Dammit, what is that bunny thinking?_ he asked, slapping the wall with the back of his paw. _There's no way she means it. No way at all. This has to be about the rabbit meat. Still get sick to my stomach every time I think about that. She has to know I would never hurt her. Hell, she needs to know I spent four straight hours vomiting. If it's not that, it must really just be silly worries about children._ The thought derailed Nick's anger so sharply he felt as though he was out of breath for a second. _Okay, it's not silly. I'll admit it. She wants kits. The question is one you've been avoiding, but she isn't. That's actually entirely fair. She wants to know if we have a future. It's not the present she's worried about. She's scared about what it'll do to either or both of us if and when we want to make that decision, but can't. Next thing you know, she'll expect you to have an answer for how you feel… I almost don't have the heart to admit I'd love to have kits, too. This really is going to be tough. Maybe she's right. This is a problem for us both. Adoption it is, then. Push for that, and hope she doesn't fight too hard against the idea. Not sure how bunnies see that, given the size of their families._

Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. Even Finnick did not know that he had always dreamed of having children, but had tossed aside the idea after so many bad relationships. With Judy in his life, he had been too happy to even consider the looming issue. Now, it weighed heavily on him, likely the way it had for Judy. Everything finally made sense. They both wanted something they could never have without outside help.

 _We'll talk it out like actual adults_ , he thought, trying to force a smirk back onto his face. _I'll just sit her down…on my knee, and try not to let it get carried away…and we'll talk it out. We can't be the first interspecies couple in Zootopia. There has to be a therapist who specializes in helping mammals through this. You've got this, Nick. Nothing to worry about. We'll find a way._

He lifted himself again, this time freezing in an awkward head-twisted position, as he spotted Major Ursa marching out toward the car, though he only saw her from the waist up at his angle. With her was only one guard, a lioness who appeared to be half-asleep. The trick would be easier than he had expected, as he had estimated she would have three guards, not one. As he watched them move, he reached into his pocket and tapped the tone button on his radio, signaling the others.

 _Just like the time out by the drive-in theater, when you covered for Finnick and—_ Nick stopped himself, realizing he could not remember the coyote's name. _Right. Like that one time you saved his miserable hide. Not the other fifty times…just that one time._

Nick slid sideways until he reached the barred gate, which was still closed. Timing was everything. He remained perfectly still, watching the gate, while listening to the sounds of the car starting, and being put into gear. He counted to five to give Ursa time to approach the gate, then strode right out into the open where the bars would not hide him. His timing was nearly perfect, as the gate began opening just as he was approaching the middle.

 _Startled look number eighteen—the "mom caught you stealing cookies" expression, also known as the "Judy caught you evading taxes" expression_.

Nick put on a wide-eyed panicked expression, complete with side-to-side searching for an escape route, as the car came to a stop facing him. To add to the ruse, he slowly flattened back his ears and pulled his tail close to his body. If that was not enough to lure in a predator, he had no idea what would be.

For what felt like an eternity, Nick stared at the headlamps of the car, waiting for some indication that Ursa had recognized him. Then, through the thick glass of the vehicle, he heard Major Ursa's shout.

"Run that fox down! That's the one we're searching for!"

Nick held perfectly still until the car's tires kicked up sand, at which time he dove sideways, barely avoiding the vehicle's bumper. Dropping onto all four paws, he accelerated toward the planned rendezvous point, keeping to the edge of one of the narrower alleys in the city. Behind him, he could hear the car backing up and turning into the alley after him.

 _Two blocks_ , he whispered to himself, running as hard as he could, until his paws were numb. _Two blocks is how long you need to stay alive._

A gunshot went off behind him, and Nick felt a stinging burn across his side. He dared not look down, and prayed it was a really minor wound. The last thing he needed was to get run over by a car as he reached Judy and Skye's hiding spot. Somehow, Judy would keep him alive long enough to tell him his plan sucked.

The sound of the car's tires rapidly closing on him let Nick know he was running out of time. Thankfully, the alley narrowed abruptly as he ran on, and he heard the car slide on the sandy ground as it braked hard. Car doors being thrown open told him they were moving on to step three of his plan.

Nick dropped to his right side, throwing himself into a hard slide, until his hind paws were able to stop his forward momentum. Then, nearly tumbling as he righted himself, he leapt into a gap between buildings, which would take him into another alley, where Judy and Skye were waiting. It took him time to regain his speed, but by the time he approached the next alley, he heard Madeline Ursa and the lioness struggling to make their way through the gap between structures. That had been Judy's idea—finding a spot just large enough for them to fit, but small enough to slow them. It ensured they would have trouble with the pursuit and the car would be left unguarded long enough for Stan to take it. With luck, he would reach the two females, they would make their escape by way of a large drain pipe that cut back toward the car, and by the time Ursa and the lioness could get back to the street, the car would be long gone. That would leave the straggler bear and lioness undefended, and Markus would bring them down with their remaining tranquilizer darts.

 _This turned out so much easier than I expected_ , Nick told himself, grinning as the next alley junction came into sight. _Twenty more strides and I'm safe_.

The instant Nick finished the thought, something came down hard on him, sending him tumbling into the side of one building. Claws flashed a little too close to his nose for comfort, and he rolled to keep his forearms between his attacker and his face.

 _No way that lioness could have caught up in here_. He tried to get a look at his attacker, only to narrowly block his face again as the other animal's jaw snapped near his throat.

In the few seconds Nick fought to regain a good defensive position, he could smell and hear the bear and lioness huffing as they caught up. Before he dropped his arms to fight back against whoever was attacking him, he also caught the scent of a third mammal. It smelled a lot like Skye, but subtly different.

Rolling hard to throw the attacker off of him, Nick came up onto his knees as an arctic fox male likewise righted himself. They knelt there, watching each other for the moment to strike, while Ursa rapidly caught up.

"I don't know who you are, but you need to let me go," Nick told the other fox, eyeing his simple clothing, the scars on his forearms, and lack of any weapons or military insignia. More importantly, the other fox blocked his only way to reach Judy and Skye. "This isn't your fight. We're both dead if they get to us. One fox or two, it's all the same to them."

Nick shifted to his right, and the other fox mirrored him. Stepping left, he was again matched. The arctic fox was smaller than Nick, but the way he moved told Nick that this was going to be a long fight. He did not have that kind of time.

"Move!" Nick growled, hoping to intimidate the fool. "You see those two behind me?"

The white fox smirked and balanced his stance. "I do. They're taking their time today."

Nick tail fell to the ground. "You know them?"

"Major Ursa is my commanding officer," he replied, narrowing his blue eyes. "You must be the one they've had the alerts about all week. I can't say I see the reason for so much fuss. The major will break your neck, and we can finally stop scouring the city. How you managed to infiltrate half a dozen posts is beyond me."

Nick checked over his shoulder, finding that he had only a few more seconds before the larger mammals reached him. "I don't know what they told you, but I'm not an enemy. We can talk about this somewhere else. I didn't infiltrate anything."

With no time left to argue, Nick tried to advance, only to have the arctic extend his claws. This was going to get ugly.

"Last chance," Nick warned, stretching his fingers as his claws came out. He hated the feeling of even showing his claws, as it made him feel like a thing, rather than a sentient animal. It reminded him far too much of Night Howlers these days. "I will put you down if I have to. Now, move!"

The white fox lunged, and Nick had no choice left but to fight. He twisted and tried to get his claws or elbows into his enemy, but the smaller fox was far faster. Nick hit the ground hard as the arctic shoved him off-balance, but the movement left the arctic between Nick and his pursuers. This was his chance.

Digging paws and claws into the packed dirt and sand ground, Nick tore out of the alley as Major Ursa reached the other fox. He cleared the end of the gap between buildings a second later, practically diving into the alley.

"Three right on my tail!" he called out, sliding to a stop. Looking around, he tried to find Judy and Skye, but soon spotted only Skye, standing farther down the alley near the sewer pipe they had intended to use. "Fox on my tail!"

Skye's eyes widened, and she looked first to the pipe, then up at the second floor of the buildings. She recognized Nick's fear that the fox would be able to follow, regardless of their intended route out of the alley. The pipe had been chosen specifically because Ursa would not fit.

"Markus!" Skye yelled, as Nick closed the distance to her. "Fox first!"

Nick twisted to look back as he neared Skye, finding that all three mammals were now in the alley with him. The fox was running hard, closing the gap, while Ursa and the lioness panted and tried to get their balance back.

Loud pops of gunfire came from overhead, and a half dozen darts hit the two larger predators, but the fox raced on, avoiding every shot by weaving as he approached. Abruptly, the gunfire stopped, and Nick realized Markus had emptied both weapons. There would be no more tranquilizer darts until he could reload, assuming he even had more rounds available.

Nick slid to a stop as he reached Skye. "Where's Judy?"

"I sent her ahead," Skye explained, rolling her shoulders and widening her stance. "Run. This one's my fight."

"That's not the plan!" Nick snapped, grabbing Skye by the arm in an attempt to pull her. "We'll deal with him on the other side!"

Skye slapped Nick's paw away, then glared at him angrily. "That's my brother, Pearl. You did what you could. Let me do what I was trained for."

Nick hesitated, only to have Skye pull away as Pearl reached them. A straight kick from the male fox nearly took Nick off his hind paws, and before he had his balance back, Skye and Pearl were exchanging swings and kicks, snarling and moving through the alley, narrowly avoiding each other's attacks.

Nick knew he should run, but he found himself transfixed by the battle in front of him. Farther down the alley, Ursa was on her knees, trying to crawl toward them, while the lioness was already face-down. That left little threat other than Pearl himself.

Though he had seen small demonstrations of Skye's ability to defend herself, he had sorely underestimated her training and skill, when ready to fight. She fought calmly, barely even hinting that she was aware she was in combat, deftly moving through the rapid flurries of strikes from her brother, blocking or avoiding them all with ease. Unfortunately, he was just as quick, and neither seemed able to land a single solid attack.

Reaching to the back of his belt, Nick drew his pistol. He had dearly hoped to not have to use it at all, but he leveled it at Pearl, ready to take the shot if he had to.

"Snow, down!" he barked, as Skye moved across his line of fire. "Down!"

Skye moved with Pearl, then met Nick's eyes. She backtracked, putting herself right in the way of his shot. The decision put her off-balance, and Pearl caught her with his elbow on the underside of her jaw, and she went down hard. Before Nick could take the shot, Pearl pulled Skye up against his chest, facing Nick, with his claws on her throat.

"Make your choice, northerner," Pearl said, his voice low. "Kill her to get to me, or I'm turning her over to my superiors. You only get one chance to run."

Nick searched Skye's face for some hint as to what he should do, but she was far too dazed to assist. When her eyes did focus, she looked down at Pearl's arms holding her, then closed her eyes and sighed.

"That's your sister, you idiot," Nick replied, keeping the gun up and ready. "Let her go. We'll take you with us, if you're willing. Just don't hurt your own family. We can all walk away from this."

Pearl snarled, keeping as much of his body behind Skye as he could. "I know who she is. It doesn't matter. Duty and country before family. She's a traitor. Killing her might even win me a promotion. She betrayed the warlords and abandoned me. I owe her nothing."

Skye finally appeared to recover, and she met Nick's eyes. She gave him a very slight nod, looking down at his pistol. She wanted him to take the shot, and judging by her expression, she knew he would have to shoot straight through her to hit Pearl.

"We can explain everything, but not here," Nick pleaded. He inched toward the two arctic foxes. He knew in his heart he could not shoot an innocent—or Skye, for that matter—but there was no reason to let Pearl know that. "You know you're not getting out of here alive, unless you surrender. I don't want to shoot her, but I will."

"No, you won't," Pearl answered. He turned Skye as he adjusted his position to keep Nick from getting even a slight angle of fire. "You're weak, like she is. Like I was. Compassion for others gets you killed. I learned that lesson. You will, too. A year from now, one of you will be serving us, too. Whether you take the shot determines which of you."

Nick stopped trying to get an angle, and instead clicked the safety of his weapon with his thumb claw. Looking up at the windows over the alley, he hoped he was right about what he was about to do. "Fine. You know I won't take the shot. Now what's your play? You can't take us both in. Prisoners or not, you're dead the moment someone reports back that Ursa and the other one got gunned down, while you led a pursuit."

Pearl's eyes narrowed, letting Nick know he was not wrong. "I know what my punishment will be. That's nothing new. Success or failure, there's always something waiting for me. If you think fear of a whip is going to soften me up, you've calculated wrong."

"No, not the whip," Nick replied, as movement overhead let him know Markus had found the correct window to fire from. "You forgot about something a lot more dangerous."

Pearl's head cocked, then his eyes widened as he seemed to realize what he had forgotten about. He started to turn, to search for Markus, but another pop echoed through the alley. Blood sprayed across Pearl and Skye's right shoulders, and Pearl stumbled, falling to his knees.

Nick ran to Skye, but she did not waver in the slightest. He reached her as she turned partway to look down at Pearl, while putting one of her paws over a bleeding cut on the stop of her shoulder, where the bullet had grazed her.

"What do we do with—?" Nick began, as he reached Skye's side.

The thought was lost as Skye caught his wrist and snatched the pistol from his paws. She brought it up, placing the barrel to Pearl's forehead, though her finger remained along the barrel, rather than on the trigger. Pearl laughed weakly and leaned forward to press his skull against the pistol.

"Just finish it," he told Skye, without looking up. "I've been beaten and spit on for more than a decade because of our family. It's only right that I die to them, too."

Nick held perfectly still, waiting for Skye to do something. He expected her to cast aside the gun, to knock out Pearl and walk away, or even for her to plead with him. Instead, he saw the struggle in her facial features as she tried to decide what she would do with her only surviving family member. Slowly, Nick watched as she moved her finger onto the trigger.

"Skye," Nick whispered, and her finger stopped moving. "We need to go. Don't do this."

Skye glanced sideways at Nick, then returned her attention to Pearl. "I failed him. I won't see him living like this, killing for _them_."

When Skye's finger settled on the trigger, Nick knew he had to make a split-second decision. Not having time to really think it through, he lunged, slapping the gun aside as it went off. The boom of the weapon in the narrow alley was deafening, and Pearl collapsed, clutching his ears, while Nick stumbled away, flexing his burned paw.

"What are you doing?" Skye demanded, rounding on Nick, though she kept the pistol aimed at the ground. "Don't be an idiot!"

"Give me that!" Nick snapped back at her, and she barely resisted as he took the weapon from her.

Turning to Pearl, Nick found that he was still holding one ear, but had gotten back up onto his knees.

"Just get it over with already!" Pearl said, lowering his face toward the ground. "I can't possibly make it any easier."

Nick flipped the pistol in his paw and brought the grip down as hard as he could on Pearl's head. With a grunt, the smaller fox collapsed, his white fur quickly staining with blood. Pearl tried to move, but fell immediately, his eyes glazed over.

"Now we can go," Nick told Skye, as he hoisted Pearl onto his shoulders. "We'll talk about how stupid we both are later. For now, he's coming with us."

Skye hesitated, but fell in beside Nick as he made his way toward the sewer pipe and the car that he hoped would be waiting at the far end.

 _No one's ever living down the day I had to be the responsible and sensible one_ , he groused, making sure he stayed ahead of Skye, so he did not have to look at her.

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 7.6 – Unwise Alliances

 **August 28** **th** **, Saturday – Northern Gates, Northern Ursian Lands**

"Nick, I want an explanation," Judy insisted yet again. Try as she might, this time she could not let him act as though nothing had happened.

"Not mine to give. You'll get an explanation when Snow's ready to give it. All I can offer is that his name's Pearl," he answered, still watching the alley ahead of them to ensure no one snuck up on the car. In his lap, he held the pages ripped from the journal, which they had discovered in the glovebox.

Getting up onto her knees on the seat, Judy stared at Skye and the other fox in the back seat. The male had drifted in and out of consciousness for over an hour, and she recognized a concussion when she saw one. The bloodied swelling across the top of his head left little doubt of what had caused it, though Judy still had no idea why he had been captured or even who he really was. Both he and Skye now sported matching bloodstained bandages across their right shoulders, covering wounds from a bullet grazing them.

Beside the two white foxes, Stan Delgato had his paws clasped in his lap as he looked around, clearly unsure what to do with himself.

"This wasn't part of the plan," Judy reminded them, but Nick was ignoring her, and Skye was too focused on the other arctic fox to notice. Stan nodded quietly. "Please just tell me whether this changes anything about our plans!"

"No, not a bit, Fluff," Nick insisted, without taking his gaze off the street. "One more passenger. That's all."

Judy slumped into her seat, even though that meant she could no longer see the street. She had no idea what was going on, but neither Nick nor Skye had been willing to talk at all since their return. That alone was more than enough to keep Judy wondering.

The sounds of someone running snapped Judy out of her thoughts and she bounced to her hind paws on the seat to look out the car windows, searching for whoever was coming.

From the back end of the alley, Markus was running hard, carrying the backpack containing his guns over his good shoulder. As he neared the rear bumper, he slowed and came up to the driver's window, near Nick.

"We have a problem," Markus said, as soon as Nick had the window partially open. "Carl just sent me a message by way of Midnight. Ursa's already back up, and on the move, albeit slowly. He said she was barely conscious, but he lost her."

"We need to hurry," Judy said, motioning toward the car's keys.

"No," Fangmeyer continued, sighing. "Midnight found out that they aren't coming here. He says there are twenty soldiers outside Katrina's house, with more coming. Ursa called in a strike team. Carl and the others are still inside."

Nick sat up straight. "What're they still doing there? Carl was supposed to be limping his way over here with Rolen."

"I asked him to stay with Katrina to make sure this didn't happen," explained Markus. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. Stick to the plan. I'll head back there and try to get Harry, Carl, Felix, and Rolen out of there. If we're lucky—very lucky—once they're gone, the soldiers won't have reason to hurt Katrina. Midnight already ran back."

From the back seat, weak chuckles drew everyone's attention to Pearl.

"We've had reasons to go after her for years," he mumbled, grinning as his head flopped back. Skye tried to press a cloth to his head, but he pushed her away. "Major Ursa won't let it slide this time. That house is getting burned to the ground. Call it a public service. Once we knew the ZBI's infiltrator was staying there, we didn't really have a choice."

"The what?" Skye asked, and Nick shrugged.

Judy stared at Markus, seeing the worry there without any difficulty. "Fangmeyer and I will go. He's armed, and I can probably slip past anyone who's watching the place. Nick, get those pages from Otto. Kill him if you have to. We'll meet you at the plane."

Nick's calm broke more sharply than Judy had expected, and he turned on her. "No. Absolutely not, Carrots. You're going to get yourself killed. Both of you will. We shouldn't be splitting up an hour before our plane leaves."

"Nick, if we don't, Carl, Harry, Katrina, and all the servants are going to die because of us," she insisted, already climbing down off the bench seat to leave the car by the passenger side. "I'm not giving you a choice. I'm going. I will be at the plane."

Nick looked between Judy and Markus, until finally his shoulders slumped and he leaned forward toward Judy. "I know I'm not supposed to do this, but I'll regret it forever if I don't. You can yell at me when you catch back up."

Bending over her, Nick kissed her on the top of the head, warming her whole body, even in the high temperatures of the region. At least it was some reassurance that she could smooth things over once they were home.

"All the more reason to come back," she teased, grinning up at him. "Can't let you get the last word in. I'll see you in an hour. Hour and a half at most. If we're not there by then, leave. We'll find another way out. And Nick…I do love you."

Nick looked away, staring at the steering wheel. He was angry, and Judy could not entirely fault him. She would have lectured him for days, had he done something similar to what she now intended. Still, there was no good way around it.

Rather than risk having her resolve fail her, Judy hurried out the door of the car, closing it behind her. Before her hind paws were on the ground, Markus was already running back the way he had come, and she set off after him, quickly closing the distance. They ran together, racing through the back streets of town toward Katrina's house—though they did have to backtrack once when they got lost in the winding roads.

In less than ten minutes, they reached the block with Katrina's home. One look and Judy could confidently say which house was being targeted. Just outside the front fence, twenty wolves, tigers, and lions stood at attention with Madeline Ursa, who was leaning on a wall for support. She looked sick, but was still giving orders to those around her.

"Squad one and two, through the front door on my command," she told the assembled soldiers, though Judy could barely make out the words half a block away. "Squad three, in through the back. Kill everything that moves, unless it's Katrina Groewl herself. Servants and visitors can be killed without question. I want Madam Groewl in pawcuffs or unconscious when we finish. If you kill her, you answer to me. She knows where the terrorists are, and we need those answers. Get into position. We breach the house in five minutes."

Judy looked up at Markus, and found that while he might not have picked up the words, he seemed to have gotten the intent. He already had his rifle out and was assembling it swiftly.

"How many rounds do you have left?" she asked, eyeing the backpack.

"Three with the rifle, six with my pistol, and no darts," he replied, as the stock locked into place. "I won't even slow a group that size. If I can take out a soldier on the edge, I might be able to take and use their weapon, too."

Judy turned back to the soldiers, who were assembling into large groups, one of which was circling around to the fenced yard. "Can you convince them there's a bigger threat outside the house than in it?"

Markus stopped his work and tilted his head to stare at Judy. "I can. They'll come right for me, if I do. We need more of a plan than that."

"That's the idea," she said, bracing herself to start running. They were almost out of time. "They won't send them all for a single shooter they can't see. Maybe one squad?"

"Looks like eight animals per squad," he replied, eyeing the groups. "She'd be a fool to commit them all. The moment they go for the door, I'll pick one off and start moving. You'll have a very short window to get inside and back out, while they try to figure out where I am. I don't know that I'll live through this, and I certainly won't be able to cover you, so make the most of the time. Get everyone out, not just ours. If I don't get the chance to say it later, it's been an honor serving with you."

Judy lowered herself onto all fours, waiting for the right moment to race out of the alley. "I'll get everyone. Just keep attention away from me as long as you can."

"Go on three. One…two…" Markus whispered, as he lay down to brace himself and the rifle. "Three!"

Judy tore across the dry dirt road toward Katrina's house, and she knew there was likely a plume of dust behind her, all but pointing a giant neon arrow at her to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary. Sure enough, she had barely gotten halfway across the street before several of the soldiers turned to look at her, though none raised their weapons yet.

"That's one of the local servants!" Ursa called out, and Judy realized things were about to get ugly. "Don't let her through!"

Adjusting her path to cut wide around the soldiers, with the hope of trying to reach the back gate—which the soldiers had left open—Judy knew she was only a few seconds from being attacked. She could probably avoid one or two bullets, as few mammals were good at firing at small fast-moving targets, but all it would take was one wolf tackling her and it was all over.

A gunshot rang out, and one of the soldiers in Judy's way tumbled, clutching his shoulder. A second shot right after took down a tiger on the front porch. All of the soldiers dropped into low defensive stances, as they tried to find their attacker. Not a single one looked at Judy as she raced past them, and into the back yard. Slowing, she scrambled up the back steps and dove through the small flap that allowed the servants in and out.

Panting, Judy stood once she was inside, sniffing and looking for anyone she recognized. Finding no one nearby, she started to move deeper into the hall near the servants' wing, but then looked back up at the back door. With a high jump, she reached the handle and climbed up so she could get her paws onto the deadbolt. She locked the door, hoping to buy them a second or two when the soldiers advanced again.

She dropped back to the floor and ran for the back rooms, where thankfully she found Rolen and Felix, though Carl and Harry were missing. Unlike when she had left, all of the twenty servants were also in the room, huddled as far from Rolen as they could get. Cowering between the adults, five bunny kits watched her nervously. Even the serval who had been hiding in the basement now sat with the servants, though not Cyndi.

"Where are the others?" she asked, unable to even attempt to pretend she was just another servant. The time for that had passed. "We're about to have a dozen or more soldiers in our laps."

Rolen peered at her lazily and shrugged.

Felix got to his paws and holstered the pistol he had been holding, then shook his head. "Don't know. Carl was trying to find Cyndi, and get everyone in one place. Katrina's somewhere in the front of the house, ready to tell the soldiers to get off her property the moment they bust in."

Grumbling, Judy looked around at the mammals present. They were all going to be carted off to somewhere far worse than Katrina's home once the house was taken—assuming they survived at all. Felix only had one weapon, and that would hardly slow the sheer numbers coming.

"Rolen," Judy turned to the bear, regretting her decision even before it left her lips. "I want you to lead the way out the door. We're meeting the soldiers on the way out. If you want out of here, you're going to help."

"You're killing my enemies for me, as I recall." Rolen smiled smugly, leaning back against the wall. "Otto's death means things get a lot easier on me. I will honor my promise, but nowhere in there did I say I would be helpful."

"They're not killing him. They're going to capture him and get those pages back. I'm pretty sure he won't be happy with you once he gets away. How long before he starts pushing the button that sets off your ankle cuff? When there isn't a small mushroom cloud, he's going to want to know why. Now, either help, or we leave you here to deal with Otto yourself."

Rolen's bored expression gave Judy very little, but he finally nodded and checked his ankle cuff's foil cover. He then got up. "Very well. Find your fellows. I'll deal with getting us out of the house. We cannot run into Madeline, or nothing I say will matter. She would rather shoot me in the knees and then save me, after some unpleasantness with her sister."

"What kind of unpleasantness?" Judy asked, while motioning for the servants to stand up. They hesitated, but slowly began getting to their paws.

"The kind where I had her brought to my court to be pursued by one of my friends," Rolen told her, as he smoothed wrinkles in his clothing. "She refused, and was executed. Madeline sees that as my fault, simply because I signed the order. Suffice to say, she's not happy with me."

Judy's shoulders sank as she stared at Rolen, though he seemed unphased by it at all. Even Felix looked somewhat rattled. "Fine. Felix, get them moving. I'll be right back with Carl, Harry, Cyndi, and Katrina."

Turning and running from the room, Judy headed through the kitchen and out into the main section of the house. She had barely cleared the dining room before she could hear conversation near the front door. She went that way, and soon found Harry and Carl arguing with Katrina, while Cyndi stood back and watched.

"I am not leaving my family home!" Katrina snapped, holding her ground. "I appreciate your concerns, Carl, but I will not go. If Zippy tries to order me around again, I will put him on the ground. Get control of your bunny."

Judy came to a stop nearby, knowing she would not be able to sway Katrina if she was already pushing back against Harry talking like he was not a servant. "Carl, we have no time left. The soldiers are about to kick in the doors. We're taking Rolen out the back."

Carl looked between Judy and Katrina, clearly torn as to what to do. A glance over his shoulder at Cyndi seemed to give him more clarity. "We're leaving. Katrina, if you stay, they will probably kill you. If you come with us, we'll protect you and yours."

"Take my servants," Katrina told them, sighing sadly. "Get them somewhere safe. Truly safe. They deserve better than I can give them. I won't leave my home. If there's even a chance I can keep helping other animals get out of this area and on to better lives, it's worth the risk. I am happy to be the one to stand against the warlords and be made an example of. Go. I'll be fine."

"Please," Judy whispered, drawing attention to her. Katrina bristled ever so slightly, but let Judy continue. "They're on their way. They will torture and kill you. Is this house worth dying for?"

Katrina shook her head. "No, but what it stands for is. Resistance to the Ursians has operated out of this house for decades, right under their noses. If I let it fall, I've failed my husband's memory."

"We're leaving now," Judy added, motioning toward the hall. "As it is, I don't know if we can get away. We can't wait."

"Then don't," Katrina insisted. "This is my choice. Go. Get everyone to safety."

Judy turned to leave with Harry at her side, but Carl hesitated. She started to reach up to grab his paw, only to stop when Cyndi took it first. The fossa guided him after Judy and Harry, with one of his arms over her shoulder to help keep weight off his hind paw.

Before rounding the corner to head down the hall toward the kitchen and servants' quarters, Judy looked over her shoulder at Katrina. The tigress was leaned against the wall near the door with her face in her paws, weeping. As much as Judy wanted to keep arguing, there was no time. Katrina was making her choice to die for her home and for a symbol of change in the region. That was worth respect, even if Judy wished there was another way.

"C'mon," Judy called out, picking up her pace. Distantly, she heard another single gunshot, followed several seconds later by a dozen or more shots fired back. Markus was still alive, though likely not for long.

They soon reached the back halls, where Rolen and Felix were standing near the door she had entered through, with the large group of servants cowering nearby.

"Time to go," Judy announced, making certain to meet the eyes of the servants. "All of us. Rolen will lead the way. Once we're on the streets, Felix will take lead. Everyone stay close. No matter what happens, just keep going."

From the back of the group, Midnight stepped forward, his ears high as he glared at Judy. "We can't. This is wrong. We need to stay here."

"Your mistress has given you permission to go," Judy countered, motioning to Rolen to get moving. "Stay if you want, but she gave the order. No one from this house is punishing us for this."

Whispers went through the group of servants, and most looked toward Rolen for guidance. Midnight and Muffin, however, walked past Judy out toward the main part of the house. As they went by her, Muffin whispered, "Our place is with our mistress. We're staying."

Stomping her hind paw, Judy glared up at Rolen. "Get going already!"

Rolen shrugged and opened the door. As he did, Judy's attention went immediately to the soldiers assembled in the yard, Katrina and the two bunnies forgotten. Five soldiers were aiming their weapons at the buildings nearby, clearly searching for whoever was attacking them, while a sixth knelt near a bleeding wolf.

"Stay close," Rolen told them, motioning the servants closer. "This should be relatively easy."

Judy started to move in behind Rolen, but she realized that the five bunny kits who had been living among the servants were not with anyone. They milled about, nervously trying not to be stepped on.

"Come here," she told the kits, bending down and holding her arms wide. They ran over and grabbed either bits of her pants or her fingers to keep close to her. "Don't let go. We might have to do a little running. Everyone okay with running?"

The kits nodded, making their long ears bounce, but she could tell they were too scared to have any idea what was happening.

Rolen stepped out of the door, setting the group in motion. Judy followed near the back of the group, with Felix behind her, keeping his weapon hidden.

"You there!" shouted the tiger soldier who had been checking on the wounded, turning his pistol on Rolen. "We're under orders—"

"How dare you, soldier?" bellowed Rolen, making many of the servants around Judy cower. The bunnies whimpered softly, hiding their faces against Judy's legs. "Do you recognize me? If not, what corner of my empire did you crawl out of?"

The tiger lowered his weapon a few inches, his eyes widening as he seemed to realize what he had just done. "Major Ursa ordered us to kill everyone in that house."

Rolen snorted loudly and kept walking. "Then I've already done your work for you. I'm claiming their servants. If you point that weapon at me again, I'll have your whole family executed."

Judy kept her head low as the group slowly began passing the soldiers. Most were still watching the surrounding buildings, but she could feel the tension in the air.

"Sir," the tiger replied timidly, his pistol now aimed at the ground. "I have to insist that you stop."

Judy froze as the group came to a halt, and pulled the five kits even closer to her body. Behind her, she heard Felix's paw tighten on his pistol.

Rolen took a deep rumbling breath, then rounded on the soldier with all the gravity of a boulder. "Did you give your warlord orders?"

With trembling paws, the tiger raised his pistol, leveling it at Rolen. "Yes, sir. Empire law. I am required to obey my commanding officer, even if she demands I commit treason. I don't want to do this!"

Rolen let out a loud huff. "You are right, soldier. That is the law. Drawing a weapon on your warlord is treason, but so is disobeying your commander. I am sorry you are in this position. Which of you is in command here?"

The tiger's tail sank low. "I am."

"I thought so. I hereby relieve you of command." Rolen lunged, grabbing the soldier's pistol as it went off.

Judy pulled the kits to the ground, trying to keep her body between them and the fight.

To Judy's surprise, the other soldiers did not intervene. They held their positions as Rolen delivered three powerful punches to the tiger, leaving him broken and gasping for breath on the ground. After a moment, the tiger lay still. When Rolen straightened again, he held one paw to his chest where blood was already covering his clothing.

"Your commanding officer committed treason, but died honorably," Rolen announced, his voice strained with pain. "I am taking charge of this squad. Anyone else wish to obey the traitor's prior orders?" The five remaining soldiers said nothing. "Good. Your loyalty will be remembered. Your only commands are to kill Major Ursa if she comes after me. Hold your ground for ten minutes. You are dismissed after that time, and the order to kill her is rescinded."

Rolen turned on his hind paws and began walking again, this time without any soldiers making an attempt to slow him.

Judy hurriedly gathered up the now-crying kits, and jogged to catch up to the majority of the group, making their way out of the yard after Rolen.

"That was not as smooth as I would have liked," Spetz whispered behind Judy, once they reached the street. "Now what?"

Judy looked around, trying to find Markus. As she turned to the north, another gunshot gave her some idea of where he might be. From what she could tell, he was firing on the front of the house, where the majority of the soldiers were.

"Take them and get to Nick," Judy told Felix, passing the kits to him. Instead of bending down to take their paws, he scooped them up and carried them, despite their clear unease at the idea. "I'll go try to find Markus. I know where the pickup is. If we can't meet the car by the gates, we'll meet you at the plane."

Felix stayed where he was, even as the rest of the group got some distance on them. "Judy, Nick will kill me if you don't show up. I mean that literally. He _will_ kill me."

"I'm not about to leave Markus," she argued. "He just saved our lives. So did Rolen, but I don't really feel okay with admitting that out loud. I promise I'll try to be careful, but you need to get going. The longer we wait, the more dangerous this gets."

Spetz sighed and nodded. "Fine. Don't be surprised if we come back for you if you're late."

Judy patted his leg as he passed her, racing to catch up with the others. The bounding run seemed to finally relieve the worries of the kits, as the last Judy saw of them was five bunnies with their ears up, grinning like idiots.

Running back the way she had come, Judy skirted the Groewl estate, circling around to the far side of the street in front. She soon reached the same alley where she and Markus had set up originally, but aside from his empty gear bag, there was no sign of him. Just as she thought about moving to the next street over to keep hunting, she heard a crash behind her, followed by muffled shouting.

Turning, Judy saw that the soldiers had finally gotten enough break between attacks to kick in the front door of Katrina's home and rush inside. Within seconds, they dragged Katrina out into the front yard, throwing her down onto her knees in front of Madeline Ursa.

"Whoever you are, come out now!" Major Ursa shouted, turning slowly to look at the nearby buildings. As she moved, Judy could see that a bullet had already hit her in the hip, making her limp. When the street remained silent, Ursa drew a pistol and pressed it to the back of Katrina's head, between her ears. "You have ten seconds. If you fire, your time is up. You surrender, and she gets to live at least until sunrise."

 _I can say it was me,_ Judy thought frantically, trying to find anything in the alley Markus might have left behind she could use to bolster her claim. _I just need some kind of gun, and I can turn myself in to save them both…_

Judy stopped where she was as pawsteps on the dry ground caught her attention. Looking up, she saw that Markus was walking across the street toward the soldiers, his rifle held in both paws over his head.

 _What are you doing?_ Judy screamed in her head at him. She had no way to call for help, and no gear to back him up. _You idiot!_

Markus stopped as he reached the first soldier. They took away his rifle, and patted him down for other weapons—which took considerable time, as they kept finding smaller pistols and knives hidden in his clothing. When they finally finished, Ursa kicked Katrina to the ground and holstered her weapon.

"Put them both in chains and take them to holding cells," Ursa told the soldiers, smiling broadly. "Beat them when you get there, but do not kill them. No more than ten lashes each, until further notice. Otto will want to see them hang."

Judy squeaked in dismay, but she had no idea what she should or could do. Just as she considered running in and hoping for the best, Markus made a series of gestures with his paws behind his head, where the soldiers could not see.

 _Go…now_ , Judy read, feeling her heart grow heavy. _Trust…me._

Judy punched the building alongside her, barely even feeling the pain. There really was nothing she could do, no matter how much she hated herself for standing by while Markus was thrown to the ground and put in cuffs. By the time she left the alley, she had seen him dragged bodily after taking several horrible punches to the face. Katrina was treated only a little better, though her beatings were clearly more of a personal matter, as Ursa made sure to deliver them herself.

Slinking from the alley, Judy hurried through the city as quickly as she could without being seen. Too many mammals had been hurt already. As willing as she was to sacrifice for the others, getting caught would not help anyone. Also, she could not risk anyone seeing her, as she could not stop crying, wondering if she could have done something to save Fangmeyer.


	8. Chapter 8-1

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.1 – The Long Road Home

 **August 28** **th** **, Saturday Afternoon – Ursian District Twenty-Three**

Nick dove for cover as the car tumbled right over him, landing with a deafening crash on its side, then screeched as it slid several more feet. Looking up from where he lay, he found Otto standing unsteadily, clutching the deep wounds in his left forearm, where he had been cut badly stopping the car with his bare paws. Stan's tranquillizer darts still hung in the bear's shirt, hardly having slowed him. Him picking up the car—after being hit with it—was beyond unexpected, and went straight onto the list of things Nick never wanted to see happen again in his lifetime.

"Is that the best you can do?" roared Otto, searching the trees near the road for Stan, all but ignoring Nick. "One lion thinks he can stand against a warlord? Show yourself!"

Never before had Nick been so happy to be underestimated. He lay no more than twenty of his strides from Otto, and would have been an easy target, but the bear only cared about Stan. Even Nick's attempt at ramming Otto with the car had done little to turn Otto's attention from Delgato. Likely, Otto considered Nick nothing more than a servant to Stan.

Nick rolled onto his side and drew his own tranquillizer pistol. With Skye hiding nearer the walls with her brother, the entire fight was left to him and Stan, and it was not even remotely going well, though both of Otto's guards were unconscious. As it was, they might not be able to get the car running again to head toward their rendezvous with Milo. Staying low, Nick raised the pistol and fired all three remaining darts into Otto's back, but he did not even react.

Otto let out another roar, as Stan ran toward him. The two collided with enough force that Nick felt the impact through the ground, but he had more important things to worry about—which largely revolved around reloading his weapon before Stan died horribly.

With a growl of pain, Delgato hit the ground on his knees, clutching at his face where the bear's last punch had torn away some of his fur. He knelt there, panting, as Otto stepped over him to deliver a killing blow.

Frantically, Nick clicked the next magazine into his pistol.

"I can see why Rolen thought your people would be easy targets," Otto said, grinning as he grabbed a pawful of Stan's mane. "If you two are all they would send to fight me, they vastly underestimate our lands. Once I transcribe the information Rolen told me of in his moment of weakness—"

Stan looked up at Nick and smirked, even as Otto's free paw rose, claws bared to strike at his head. They now knew there were no physical copies of the plans, and the need to get Otto to cooperate was gone.

Even as Nick raised his weapon, Stan twisted hard—losing a fair amount of his mane in the process—and caught Otto's arm. He rolled backward, forcing the bear off-balance, and they tumbled to the ground together, but with Stan on top. Nick lowered his tranquillizer pistol as Stan brought up his regular pistol, firing two bullets into the back of Otto's skull. As formidable as the bear might have been, there was a limit to what he could survive. Judging by the spray of blood on the ground, that limit had been more than surpassed.

"You okay?" Delgato asked, wheezing as he let his weapon fall to the ground.

"I just had a car thrown at me," Nick replied, getting up and brushing off his clothing. "I'm pretty sure despite that I got off easy. You look terrible."

Delgato reached up and touched his cheek and then his mane, pulling his paw away covered in blood. "It'll grow back. Doesn't hurt as much as you might think, after the first time or two. That punch to the jaw hurts a lot more. Lost part of a tooth, but I think the jaw's intact. I came here hoping to do this to Rolen, but this will have to do for now."

Nick slid his tranquillizer pistol into the cord that held his pants up. "You think you can get the car back on its wheels, or are we walking?"

Stan pressed the pads of his paw to his neck to slow the bleeding, and stared at the car, still on its side. "I should be able to. Give me a minute, so I don't bleed all over everything."

Walking over to Stan, Nick tried to ignore the corpse on the ground in front of him, instead looking over his partner's injuries. They bled profusely, but did not look as though they would scar or bleed for too long. Once he was certain Stan would be okay eventually, he reluctantly lowered his muzzle to stare at the bloodied bear face-down between them. His stomach knotted painfully, and he very nearly threw up.

"You get used to it if you stay in this line of work long enough," Delgato assured him, with a sigh. "I keep forgetting you and Judy weren't military. You able to hold it together for now?"

Nick swallowed hard and nodded. "For now. I'll probably be crying every time I sleep for the next decade or two. Not sure if it's going to be the body or the car being thrown at me that I see, though."

"I wish I could say that's unexpected, or that I had an easy solution. It gets easier with time, as long as you have someone to talk to about it."

"Do I?" Nick asked, moving his hind paws a short distance from the blood that slowly spread from the body. "Have someone to talk to, that is."

Stan walked past Nick without answering the question, studying the overturned car. After a few seconds, he shook his head and motioned toward the crushed front bumper with his free paw. "It'll probably drive, but I wouldn't count on it handling well or discretely."

A distant siren began a baleful roar, drawing both of their attentions toward the city almost out of sight south of them. Moving as quickly as she could while carrying Pearl, Skye walked toward them near the road.

"They see us?" Nick called out, once he was certain Skye was close enough to hear him.

"No!" she yelled back, shifting Pearl to her other shoulder. He was conscious, but appeared to be doing his best to hinder her efforts through dead weight. "I think someone forgot to report in!"

Nick searched the battlefield near the road, soon spotting the fallen cheetah and cougar who had been escorting Otto. He ran over to them while Stan set to righting the car. Once Nick reached the cougar, he found that the much larger predator had an ancient-looking radio on his hip. Nick grabbed it and thought for a few moments before raising it to his muzzle. As he began talking, he took the cougar's pistol and slid that into his waistline, alongside his own.

"Warlord's escort reporting in," he said, trying to make his voice sound a little deeper than normal. "What's with the siren?"

The radio clicked several times, before a male voice replied. "You're overdue. What's going on out there? The warlord requested a transcriptionist be waiting for his return."

"Nothing much," Nick told the soldier, releasing the button quickly as Stan flipped the car back onto its tires with a boom. Once he was certain there would be no other surprises, he continued. "The transcriptionist will be required a bit later. The delay is due to the warlord wanting to deal with a traitor himself. We should have the mess cleaned up shortly. There might be some buzzards around the north gate soon."

A soft chuckle came back and the distant siren went silent. "Fine. We'll delay sending anyone else out until—wait a moment. Please hold position."

Nick's fur stood on end as he wondered what had happened. Turning slightly, he watched as Skye shoved Pearl into the back seat of the car—then shoved him in a second time when he tried to escape—and Stan slid into the driver's seat.

"Soldier, give your name and rank," ordered a female voice over the radio, drawing Nick's attention back. "If you cannot do that, put the warlord on the radio."

Nick looked down at the bloodied corpse alongside the road. Even before replying, Nick began walking swiftly toward the waiting car. "He's indisposed. May I relay your message when he's done washing his paws?"

"Which Zootopian am I speaking with?" the female replied, and Nick realized he was talking with Major Ursa. "We have your allies. Surrender yourself and return the warlord unscathed, and we will let them live."

Nick stopped near the door of the car. There was no sense in lying at this point, so he had to shift to being clever. "You have all of our allies?"

"All of them. This is your only opportunity to receive mercy."

Swallowing, Nick took a deep breath to steady himself. It was time to test her claims. "You have the otter?"

"Yes."

"The bunny?"

"Yes."

"The antelope?"

"Yes."

"The tiger?"

"They are both alive for the moment."

"Who else?"

"I have everyone, fox. Yes, I recognize your voice now. Make your choice quickly."

 _They have Markus and someone else. Maybe Katrina_ , he thought, grumbling to himself as he stopped alongside the car door. _She doesn't have any idea who anyone else is. Judy's safe, but Fangmeyer…shit. Now what?_

Nick watched Skye and Stan as he weighed his options. If he was reading Madeline right, she was still hunting for the others. The lives of everyone else on the team was in jeopardy if he tried to save Fangmeyer. Judy, Stan, Felix, Carl, Harry, Skye, and now Pearl were all likely going to die if he tried to negotiate with the bear, as he had no way to even meet her demands with Otto dead. In his mind, there was no good choice. Every avenue was horrific.

"I want to agree," Nick said into the radio, unable to keep the despair out of his voice. "We just put a few dozen tranquiller darts into your warlord, though. I can't put him on the line until he wakes up. He's snoozing flat on his back. I would say that I'm sorry…but I'm not."

The radio remained quiet for more than a minute, and Nick found himself staring at the corpse at his hind paws, the bloody hole in the bear's head seeming like a death knell for the Zootopians, too. Finally, the radio crackled again.

"Deliver him back to the gates," Madeline Ursa told him firmly. "You have one hour. If you turn yourself in with him at your side—alive—your friends will be spared brutal executions. Do we have a deal, fox?"

Nick tapped Otto's head with one toe. He was going to need to lie about everything, and try to buy them extra time. "Yeah. We have a deal. I'll surrender with him beside me in under an hour. I'll try to be back in the city in forty or fifty minutes, but we're pretty far south right now and I'm dragging an unconscious bear."

"In forty-five minutes, I begin breaking fingers and toes. One every five minutes I wait past then. When I run out of both, your ally will hang from the walls. I won't even allow him to fall to break his neck. It will be slow and agonizing. Do we understand each other?"

Nick closed his eyes, trying to keep tears from coming. As much as he hated himself for abandoning Markus, now he knew for certain he was the only Zootopian held. "I understand. I'll hurry."

As soon as he finished talking, Nick let out an angry yip and threw the radio as far as he could into the woods. Turning on his heel, he hurried to the car, which rattled loudly from the damage done to the front end. He walked around to the front passenger side and climbed inside, sitting down hard on the seat beside Stan.

"Start driving," Nick said, when no one made a move. He could not bring himself to meet anyone's gaze, despite feeling their stares. "We've got a plane to catch."

"They caught someone," Stan reasoned, though he did put the car into gear. "Who did we lose?"

"I said, drive."

Stan put the car right back into Park. "Who, Nick? Who do they have? Is she okay?"

"Judy's fine," he answered, keeping his attention on the door. "They have Fangmeyer. They'll only trade him for a live and unharmed warlord."

From the corner of Nick's vision, he saw Stan's paws fall from the wheel into his lap. "I killed him."

"I know. You did what you had to—hell, you did what you were told to do—but now we have nothing to trade. We have to trust Markus to get away on his own."

"No," Stan replied, his voice so low Nick could barely hear him. "I killed Markus. Not directly, but it's on my shoulders. He's in danger because of me."

Nick started to turn toward the lion, but to his surprise, Skye hopped across the console between the front seats and stood on the cup holders to look Stan in the eyes. Before anyone had said anything further, she reached up and took Stan's shoulder in her arms, hugging him as best she could.

"It's not your fault," she assured him, and Nick saw Stan begin to relax into her unexpected kindness. "Harry's been telling me that for years. I think now I understand. The pain will still be there, but you need to understand you did this to save countless lives. We knew the risks going in. He's a soldier. He took all of these risks, knowing what might come. If you need someone to blame…blame me. By the bear, I know I always will."

For a few minutes, neither Skye nor Stan moved, as the lion rested his head gently against Skye's shoulder. At last, Stan nodded and put both paws back on the steering wheel. As soon as he did, Skye turned and knelt alongside Nick.

"Don't you try blaming yourself, either," she told him, taking his paw in hers and squeezing it. "I know my place here. All of the blame is mine. Hate me, hurt me, I don't care. Knowing I'm responsible for every life lost is all I am anymore. For now, we need to get Rolen out of the country. I trust in our team, and I know Hopps will meet us at the plane. We need to get there, too."

Nick nodded and squeezed Skye's paw tightly, as the car began rolling toward the woods north of town. "Go take care of your brother. I'll be fine."

Skye looked to the back seat, and Nick could see Pearl appeared unconscious again from where he sat. "I have no medical training, but I'm hoping he'll be okay if we can get him to a doctor. Milo is sort of a doctor and… I can't even convince myself there, so let's just say Milo can probably help. Will you be okay, Nick?"

Nick smiled weakly up at Skye. "Always. I'm the contrary one, remember?"

The car lurched as it left the road, veering off toward a long field, which Nick remembered was described as being connected to the airstrip Milo intended to use. They were already getting close. As the car bounced on the uneven ground, Skye moved into the back seat to keep Pearl from falling over.

The four of them rode in silence for twenty minutes, until at last the gleam of sunlight on a metal fuselage hinted they were close. Stan slowed the vehicle to a crawl, only to have smoke begin roiling from the hood. Seconds later, a deafening bang from the engine brought them to a stop.

"No going back now," Stan told them, as he pulled the key from the ignition. "Let's hope Milo's ready to get us out of here."

"We have some time," Nick assured Delgato, though he could not get his mind off Judy and the others, wondering if they had managed to get away. "I lied to Ursa about where we were. With luck, she'll be looking in the wrong direction."

Nick did not wait for a reply before he climbed out of the car and went around to the back door on the driver's side. Jumping, he caught the handle and pulled the door open, letting Skye more easily carry Pearl out and onto the ground. As he waited for her to pass him, he realized they stood on an overgrown road, which explained why Milo had chosen the location as their runway. Thankfully, the car had stalled to one edge, leaving plenty of room.

"His eyes are focused when he's awake," Skye said absently as she passed Nick. "I think he's just sleeping it off, now. Might even be faking, waiting for his head to clear."

Nick closed the door and followed Skye toward the plane, with Stan a few strides behind them. "Are you sure about taking him with us? He really didn't want to go."

"I'm sure," she said, nodding. "He's family. It may take a few years to get through to him, but I'm willing to do the legwork. If it takes the rest of my life, I'll get him to see why we did this. I've spent years thinking my entire family was dead. This changes everything."

As they neared the plane—a far worse wreck of rusted metal than the last one—Milo came bounding down out of the hold. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching them approach with a big grin on his face. "Hey! Thought you all were dead. Could have sworn we had bunnies with us, and only two foxes. Did we downgrade from bunnies to an extra fox? Someone eat someone they shouldn't have?"

"Shut your mouth," Nick snapped, motioning for Skye to pass him. She continued up into the plane's hold and started situating Pearl on one of the bench seats. "None of us is in the mood. We're waiting for the rest of the team, then I expect you to get us home. No joking around today."

Milo's grin faded away, and he looked down at the ground. "We lost someone. I can always tell. Who did we lose?"

"Markus Fangmeyer. The tiger."

Milo nodded slightly, then sat down where he was. "Every mission, we lose someone. I don't think I can actually take more drugs than I already do to stop remembering all of them. Agent Crimson took me off the mission teams because I couldn't handle all the deaths."

Nick waited until Stan had made his way up into the plane, too, before he turned his attention back to Milo. "I thought you were a newer agent than Snow and Harry?"

"Junior agent doesn't always mean newer," he said, still staring at his hind paws. "It's also what we call anyone not cut out for field duty. After what happened at headquarters… I'm no agent. I do what I can."

"You were there when Rolen attacked?"

Milo looked up slowly, his wide eyes distant. "Yeah. Hid in a drawer. I was there when Rolen killed everyone. Heard it all. I heard them all screaming…and then I didn't."

"You do know we're bringing him back with us?"

"I do. Don't worry. I'm not built for trying anything stupid. I'll leave that to you and Snow. I just fly the plane. Please keep him away from me, though. I know myself. I won't be able to stop crying or giggling if he gets too close."

Nick winced and looked back at the woods on three sides of the field. Still no sign of Judy and the others. "I promise. Just stay in the cockpit. We'll deal with Rolen. No one else is dying today."

Milo got up slowly, without taking his attention off of Nick, no matter how long Nick tried to ignore him. "Nick—and let me just say that I'm not kidding this once—you've changed. You remind me a lot of Snow, minus the sadistic streak and poor taste in lovers or related discretion."

"You're saying I grew up? Losing friends will do that to you."

Reaching up, Milo touched Nick's paw briefly, before stepping away. "She'll be here. We've still got some time."

"I can stop worrying when she's beside me," he replied, sitting down on the bottom step. "Have the plane ready to go. I can't imagine we have a lot of time—"

The distant echo of gunshots and a helicopter's faint roar cut off his train of thought, drawing both his and Milo's attention toward the south, the direction of town.

"I'll get the engines started," Milo said quickly, scurrying past Nick and into the plane. "We aren't waiting for seat belts this time. Get them inside the door and I'll go."

Reaching back to his belt-line, Nick drew his tranquilizer pistol with one paw, and his regular handgun with the other. One glance at the tranquilizer gun reminded him he had no ammunition left, and he threw it into the grass nearby. The other weapon was a bit too large for him, but it still had a full magazine. A weapon that was too heavy was still better than being unarmed, if the entire army was headed their way.

"Stan!" Nick called out, and Delgato came back to the door. "We have incoming. You have any ammunition left?"

Stan disappeared into the cabin again, then returned, holding a large assault rifle. "Milo has a full arsenal in here. Grab a spare or two."

The two of them switched places, with Delgato watching the tree line while Nick ducked into the plane. Inside, he found a large pile of wooden boxes with guns of all sizes and shapes, tucked into foam padding. To his left, Skye was entirely focused on Pearl, though he could see that she had shoved the stolen journal pages into one of the wall panels, where they would not be easily lost or overlooked.

"Where did these come from?" Nick asked, as he set aside his stolen weapon and shoved two new pistols into his belt. A third stayed in his paw, and several spare magazines were quickly stashed in his vest. As an afterthought, he took out the journal pages he had kept hidden in his vest, and slid them into one of the boxes. Skye did not need to know he had defied her orders. "Milo? How do we have a stockpile in a salvaged plane?"

Leaning into the main cabin from the cockpit, Milo blinked a few times before replying, "The owner of the plane left them here. He said we could use anything on-board. If I had to guess, he was smuggling them into the city."

"Who did you steal the plane from?"

"Steal?" Milo asked, wrinkling his muzzle. "I'll have you know Mister Big gave it to us. I put out the call to all of our informants and someone knew someone who knew Mister Big. Talked to him the other day, and he volunteered this plane at no cost. Damned strange, if you ask me. Pretty sure he wanted the ZBI owing him."

Nick stood up a little straighter, trying not to laugh. "Did you tell him who was on this mission?"

"Of course not!" Milo snapped. "That's privileged information!"

Nearby, sitting beside Pearl on the bench, Skye looked up at Nick. "I did, right after you were officially deceased. He had showed up in our safe house, threatening to have Kevin put a bullet in Harry's head if we didn't talk. I had to tell him everything. I thought a crime lord would be the last one to tell the city about our mission, especially with Judy's relationship with him. He swore to secrecy, and actually helped us spread the word of your death. He refused to attend your funeral, because he wasn't sure he could play the part."

"Brilliant," Nick replied, grinning broadly. "Get this thing ready to fly. The others are going to be here any minute now, and we're not sticking around once they're in the door."

Nick turned and walked to the plane door, stopping briefly before the stairs. Hanging on the wall were just two parachutes. Given his previous—and only—experience with planes, that did not bode well, but he had more important things to worry about. The helicopter and occasional gunfire were getting closer.

Kneeling in the low grass, Stan was watching the woods through the scope on his rifle. When Nick got close to him, he shook his head slightly. "No sign of anyone yet. Quarter mile, maybe a little more. They're coming toward us, but I don't know how close the pursuit is."

"Doesn't matter," Nick answered, starting a slow walk toward the trees. His weapons would be little good at long range, so he had to be ready to cover Judy as the group made it out of the woods. "It's two of us against the entire Ursian army. Make sure we don't waste our opportunities."

"Nick, we aren't losing anyone else here."

Nick stopped walking, and turned partway. "Stan, we can't be sure of that. If it comes down to it—"

"Kiss the shadiest part of my tail, Nick. Don't finish that thought."

"Not without dinner and a movie. If we get Judy back and you can't save me, get her out of here. Her life's more important than mine."

"She's going to tell me the same thing about you, so just stop. No one's being left behind."

"I'm serious, Stan." Nick hesitated, listening intently for a few seconds as gunfire slightly southeast of their position echoed oddly in the trees. It died out a moment later. "Judy's a better mammal than I am. She'll do more to help the city in the next month than I can in a lifetime. I'm just making up for old mistakes. She gets home, no matter what, so she can change the world. Understood?"

"I'm still not having this conversation. When we get home and try to laugh this off, I'm telling her you tried to make me promise that. I expect she'll beat you senseless."

Nick smiled and began walking toward the woods again. "Probably. It'd be worth it, if we can both get home intact. All I really want out of this—"

The thought vanished from his mind as Rolen burst from the woods in a spray of broken branches. The bear was running hard, carrying two smaller mammals in his arms. Carl and Cyndi, Nick realized as they got closer. Behind Rolen, around ten prey servants and the serval from Katrina's basement room followed, making him worry all the more about what had happened. Seconds after them, Felix came running from the trees, his arms full of bunny kits. Last out of the trees were Judy and Harry, both firing pistols back toward the woods. Once they were beyond the denser cover, they each fired a last shot and threw aside their weapons, accelerating after the others.

"Wait until you have clear shots!" Nick barked, jogging to reach a divot in the road, where he would be able to hunker down and fire on whatever was following. He reached the spot and dropped to one knee around the time Rolen passed him, headed straight for the plane.

Nick set aside his held pistol, then drew each of the others, setting a second down in front of him. Alongside each, he laid out two magazines, giving him a total of fifty-one shots from the pistols, and sixty-eight more if he had time to reload. It was going to go quickly, if the approaching sound of the helicopter was any indication.

"They're right behind us!" Felix yelled, as he ran by Nick.

Sure enough, before Judy and Harry were more than a dozen meters past the last tree, ten uniformed soldiers of varying predator breeds came out after them, all with rifles held ready. As soon as they saw Nick, most dropped to the ground and began firing in his direction, spraying dirt around him as he kept low, trying to force them to waste ammunition.

A brief lull in the gunfire gave Nick the moment he was waiting for. Sitting up, he emptied his first magazine, hitting none of the mammals in pursuit, but forcing the few who had kept chasing to drop back into cover. When he was certain return fire was coming, he lay down again, just in time for a spray of bullets across the ridge of dirt and mud sheltering him. He changed magazines, and waited for his next chance to return fire.

Faintly, Nick heard the soldiers get back to their paws, likely to close the gap with his location. Fresh gunfire behind him let him know Stan was returning fire, forcing them to hold their ground. Nick peeked and found the soldiers covered almost no ground, and Judy and Harry were almost to the plane, while Rolen and some of the servants were already on-board. Stan was taking intermittent shots, conserving his more limited ammunition.

"Fall back!" the lion bellowed at Nick, once he moved to reload.

Nick checked on Judy one more time, finding she was nearly to Stan. That left him as the farthest out. He listened to the gunfire from the Ursians a little longer, gauging when he thought there might be pauses, before sitting up and firing his last few rounds from his first weapon. This time, he hit two of the wolves attempting to close with him. They fell, but pulled themselves to cover quickly.

Scooping up a spare weapon in his free paw, Nick began running for the plane. Every few strides, he twisted and fired off a few rounds, alternating against Stan's bursts. He had nearly gotten to Stan, when a bullet clipped his leg, sending him tumbling with a pained growl. Sliding to a stop, he looked first toward the plane, where Judy remained on the stairs, staring at him.

Nick rolled onto his back and sat up, emptying what was left of his current magazine into the front line of soldiers. Three went down and did not get back up, but there were now nearly fifty who had come out of the woods, and he could see the helicopter circling the area. It appeared to be unarmed, letting him know they were calling out positions and asking for reinforcements.

"On three!" Stan yelled, and Nick heard a fresh magazine click into place. Nick tossed aside his empty weapon and shifted his remaining pistol to his better paw. "One! Two!"

Ignoring the pain in his thigh, Nick scrambled back onto his paws and began running as Stan opened fire. More than once, bullets passed close enough to burn his skin through clothing and fur, but Nick was not in a position to check himself over. He ran right past Delgato, not slowing until he reached the bottom of the stairs into the plane. There, he put his weight against the metal rail and spun back on the soldiers. Picking targets who were leading the advance, he fired most of his remaining bullets as Stan ran to join him, though again, he did little more than slow the pursuit.

"Milo, get this plane in the air!" Judy shouted somewhere behind Nick. "They'll be boarding us if we're not moving in the next thirty seconds!"

Across the field, Nick saw many of the soldiers turn and begin firing toward the trees. Someone out there was firing on them, providing enough distraction that the gunfire aimed Nick's direction dropped to almost nothing. Apparently, someone wanted them to escape.

The plane rocked and began moving through the field, taking away Nick's support. He backed up with the plane as it slowly turned toward the runway, until he ran out of bullets. Reaching back, he grabbed the rail of the stairs and stepped up, as Stan covered the last few meters toward the door.

Bullets struck the plane, sparking and forcing Nick to kneel on the stairs, to minimize the chance of anyone hitting him. Both to his relief and mild horror, the soldiers were not aiming for him—they were firing at the wings, trying to damage the plane. One of the four propellers' engines rumbled and began smoking, at the same time Stan reached Nick and dove onto the stairs alongside him. Together, they crawled up the stairs and into the cabin, while the plane accelerated down the grassy road.

"Hang onto something!" Milo screeched from the cockpit.

Nick grabbed the inner edge of the doorway, then reached out and caught the rail on the stairs, using that to pull them up. The last thing he saw as the ground dropped away was one of the plane's wheels clattering across the field. Landing was going to be rough.

The door came closed at last, greatly quieting the cabin. Nick and Stan still lay near the door, while the rest of the mammals had taken seats and were panting. Slowly as the plane rose, everyone calmed and began checking themselves for injuries, which let Nick see for the first time the thin bleeding lines across his thigh and ribs, both on his left side. Near the cabin door, Rolen gently placed Carl and Cyndi on the bench beside him, though both hurriedly slid away from him.

"Will that be enough to make you believe I keep my word?" Rolen asked, grunting as he touched a long bloody stain down his shirt. "I am truly tired of being shot by or for your city. In case there was any concern, I will live, but when we arrive I will need medical attention. The bullet did not pass through and will need to be removed."

Nick bit down the urge to vocalize his disappointment that Rolen would live, and turned his attention to Judy. She and Harry sat farthest from Rolen, nearer to Skye and Pearl. The five bunny kits Felix had carried onto the plane were huddled around Judy, clinging to her as the plane rocked, staring wide-eyed at Rolen. Skye watched only Pearl, a bloodied cloth pressed to his forehead, as the rough takeoff seemed to have restarted his bleeding, though he was awake and looking around. Harry, in turn, was openly watching Skye. Felix was the only mammal in the plane who seemed to be watching nothing in particular, staring absently at the floor.

Soon, the plane leveled off, the pull against Nick easing enough that he felt safe trying to move.

"Is everyone okay?" Nick asked, slowly getting to his hind paws. The shaking of the plane made it difficult, but not impossible to stay upright. "Any new injuries?"

As his attention drifted back to Judy, she gave him a thumbs up, and lowered her ears. Only a finger's length over the top of her head, three large bullet holes in the plane's hull whistled. Had she been his height, she would not be alive.

"A few grazes," Stan announced, waving his paw toward small blood stains on his shirt. "Nothing that should even need stitches. The mane hurts more than these."

"I got clawed, but it didn't get through fur," Harry replied next, keeping his attention on Skye.

Judy turned to look at Harry and frowned. "He jumped in front of one of the tigers, who tried to get me. He's lucky he's alive. We both are."

Nick crossed the cabin slowly, going over to sit as close to Judy as he could. The five kits turned their huge eyes on him, as though he were about to attack her. Two of them turned to put their backs to Judy and face Nick, crossing their arms as they glowered at him.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Nick assured the kits, smiling as warmly as he could under the circumstances. "I'm in love with the silly bunny. Usually she's saving my life, but today you five got lucky to have the bravest, strongest, and most stubborn bunny in the world help you out."

Judy's cocked half-smile and narrowed eyelids let him know he was pushing the boundaries of credulity with her. Thankfully, she kept quiet and pulled the kits a little closer.

After a moment, one kit pointed toward Skye. The other four cocked their heads, though not all in the same direction. "What about the girly fox?"

"Her?" Nick asked, sticking a thumb out toward Skye. "I'm not in love with her. She's just a…" He stopped, turning a little on the bench so he could see Skye. She was pointedly not looking at him, but she had paused in her treatment of Pearl's swollen head. "…she's a friend."

With Nick's fur coloration, blushing was all but impossible. Skye, with her white fur, was not so lucky. She did not react to Nick's words, but a clear blush ran from her ear tips to her muzzle, darkening the pink of her nose.

 _Some mammals would be embarrassed to be called someone's lover_ , he noted, returning his attention to Judy. _That one's embarrassed by being anyone's friend. I really do associate with the weirdest mammals in the world._

Nick slid a little closer to Judy, putting one arm around the two kits on his side of her. Both cowered briefly, then took notice of his tail. Within seconds, they were distracted, playing with the fluffed fur and allowing him to hold them without issue.

"So when do we get to have that talk?" Judy asked him, her smug smile and eyebrow waggle letting him know the kindness to the kits had not gone unnoticed.

"Now's better than waiting around." Nick straightened his shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I love you. That hasn't changed. We're still stuck with the problems we've tried to avoid discussing. You want kits, but you want the job even more. Even if you didn't, there's the question of how I feel, and what we're both willing to decide for the future."

"Thanks for not actually answering the question."

Nick ruffled one of the kits' fur near his ears, and the bunny playfully swatted at Nick's paw, before flinching. The kits were young enough to recover from what they had seen from predators, but it was going to take a lot of work to get there. "Always happy to help, Fluff. I've got an answer, if you're willing to spell out the questions on your mind. Don't want to give you more than you ask for."

Judy studied his face, as though measuring what she could ask of him. "Okay. Let's start with whether you love me enough to stay with me, knowing what I do and don't want in the future."

"I do and will, if you can say the same."

"I don't know if I can answer that. It depends on your thoughts on kits. I don't want to be here, having this same discussion in a couple years."

One of the bunnies crawled up into Nick's lap, before he could reply. The doe curled up against his chest and started sucking her thumb as she closed her eyes.

"I've told everyone who asked that I never want kits," Nick answered, feeling the palpable disappointment from Judy without having to look up. "A hustler doesn't want to depend on anyone or be depended on. We need our freedom. It's part of who we are."

Judy opened her mouth to reply.

"But," Nick said quickly, before Judy had managed to say anything. "That was who I was. I'm not a hustler anymore. I'm your fox. If there was anyone in this crazy world I'd want to have kits with, it's you. I know that's not possible, and it's something I can live without. You can't as easily, and I understand. Would you be willing to discuss adopting, or is that out of the question?"

Judy's worried look faded rapidly to relief. "Not out of the question at all. You know I won't be a stay-at-home parent, if we go that route someday, right?"

"I can manage," he answered. "I think I'd like that."

Judy let the discussion hang a minute or two longer, then asked him, "Are we good? Can we make this work long-term? I don't want any surprises. I don't want to act like this has the potential to be forever, if there's doubt."

"There's always doubt. I'm not some love-sick doofus, Judy. Okay, I am, but I'm serious about this. I've thought it through. Probably far too often. When we get home, I want to pick things up where we left off."

"Being dead?" Judy asked, grinning.

"No, before that. The times when we didn't think past tomorrow, because nothing else mattered. When there was no problem we couldn't solve together. When we were going to be together forever, just because we were, not because I answered your question the right way. Can we do that?"

"Are you sure you can be happy with a bunny?"

Nick laughed lightly. "I doubt I could ever be happy without one. You're addictive, Carrots. You've ruined vixens forever for me."

Judy's slightly restrained demeanor faded rapidly, and she relaxed with a warm smile. "I love you, Nick."

"Of course you do," he replied, winking. Leaning toward her, he kissed her cheek and kept his muzzle against hers a few seconds longer, before sitting back to soothe the napping bunny in his lap. "Besides, we had to get all that worked out before I sprang the big question on you."

Judy's smile dropped sharply. "Don't you dare. We're on a plane in the middle of Ursian lands. I'll hand these kits to someone else, and I _will_ hit you."

"Awfully full of yourself, for a servant, aren't you?" Nick asked, giving the kits a wink as they stared up at him. "Kits, don't go anywhere. I don't want you getting the idea that it's okay for a bunny to beat up a fox."

"Where we're going," Judy cut in as Nick finished talking, drawing the attention of all but the sleeping bunny, "a bunny can beat up a fox, when he's pushing his luck. If you're very lucky, you'll get to see a fox cry."

Nick clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, shaking his head in dismay. "That's really what you want to teach them? Now, get over yourself, Fluff. I wasn't going to ask _that_. Maybe a bit more serious, but not that."

Judy tilted her head, her ears leaning such that Nick could not fathom how she kept them from falling. "What are you asking, then?"

"I don't know if I want to say it, now that you threatened me in public." Turning to look at Carl, and then Felix, he asked, "You all heard her threaten me, right?"

Carl opened his mouth to reply, but a stern stare from Cyndi shut him up. He instead shook his head and returned to watching Rolen.

Felix scowled first at Carl, then at Nick. "I heard her threaten you, and I've yet to hear a reason why I should stop her."

Nick looked to Delgato, but the lion shook his head and closed his eyes, effectively ending any conversation. He almost turned to Rolen next, but realized that was far worse than any other opinion in the plane.

"Fine, I see how you all are. Traitors," Nick groused. He tried to keep a dour expression, but another of the bunny kits pawed at his arm, trying to get his attention. Pulling him onto his lap alongside the doe, he returned to looking at Judy. "I was going to say that there are five bunnies who desperately need a good role model. You, not me. Definitely not me. There aren't a lot of bunnies in the city who'll understand what they've been through, or be strong enough to show them another way…"

Judy's eyes widened more with each word, until Nick was concerned she might hurt herself. As he trailed off, she turned that worried stare on the three kits hugging her, and then back to Nick. "You want… I can't… They need parents… I… Nick?"

"Calm down, Carrots. The foster system takes months to even bring in new mammals. Too much experience with Finnick, I'll admit. These five are homeless until the city catches up on paperwork. I'm not saying we have to, but I'd be happy to give adoption a trial run. If you're on extra good behavior, I might even let you keep them. I'll even adjust my hours to make it work. You only need to tell them what I'm doing wrong, and I'll take care of as much as I need to."

Judy's horrified expression made Nick wonder at first whether he had gone too far, but she slowly relaxed, letting her ears drop. She pulled the other three kits onto her own lap, grinning broadly as they clung back to her. "That's the most adult and responsible thing I've ever heard you say."

"Bite your tongue, ma'am," Nick told her, faking annoyance. "We've got five kits who've spent their lives being told what to do by predators. Of course I'm not missing the opportunity to show them we're not all evil, but listening to us is still a good idea. Any other bunnies from Zootopia would probably run me into the ground."

"Zootopia's not real," mumbled the doe in Nick's arm. "Mum told me fairy tales about it. Is as fake as talking monkeys."

Nick laughed in surprise at the comment from the little female. "Oh, it's real. More real than talking monkeys, but still really real."

"Nuh uh," the doe replied, eyes still closed.

"I bet your mum told you never to trust a fox, either?" Nick whispered.

The bunny finally opened her eyes and looked up at Nick, her nose twitching spastically. "Yus?"

"All the rules change where we're going," he told her, tapping her nose with the tip of his finger. "You'll see it for yourself. This is one fox who isn't lying to you. Don't get used to it, but it can happen."

The bunny giggled and pawed at his finger, then settled back against his chest. Soon, both kits were sound asleep, and the three in Judy's lap were not far behind.

"Bravo," came Rolen's rumbling voice several minutes later, though Nick chose to ignore him. "I suppose you consider this some kind of personal and moral victory, to have patched up your disgusting relationship, and laid claim to slaves from my lands?"

"It is. One hundred percent, absolutely," Nick said, not even sure if Rolen could hear him across the rumbling plane's cabin.

Rolen huffed and crossed his arms over his barrel-like chest, ignoring the blood still spreading across his side. "Wilde, have you even considered that I could kill all of you right now? Who here even has a loaded weapon?"

Nick's fur stood on end at the implications. Reaching gingerly to his back to keep from waking the kits, he grabbed his pistol. Pulling it free of his waistband, he held it up and saw that it had only a single bullet left.

Beside him, Judy shook her head. She had nothing.

"Who among you could even mount a fight?" Rolen asked, standing unsteadily in the shaking cabin.

Felix drew his own pistol, leveling it at Rolen, while Stan stared at the pile of weaponry at the rear of the cabin, far out of reach.

"You have two bullets, leopard," Rolen told Felix, sneering. "You and Wilde together cannot bring me down, and you know it. Anyone else care to pretend as though they could resist me?"

At the end of the cabin, Skye kissed Pearl's head and drew her own weapon, pointing it at Rolen's head. "I have a full magazine. Sit your fuzzy ass down. You made a promise. Your entire empire was built on a begrudging trust your animals had for your family. Lie to us now, and you will never retake your throne."

Rolen's anger seemed to abruptly fade, and he smiled at Skye, offering her a slight bow of his head. He remained where he was a moment, then leaned against the wall near his seat, raising both paws in surrender. "You have me there, vixen. I do not break my promises, even to kill my enemies. I swore to you that I would not harm any of you. I intend to keep that promise. I will not be the one to do it."

Nick raised his own weapon toward Rolen, as more of a warning than a real threat. Slowly, he looked between the various mammals in the cabin, unsure if he had missed something. The implication was strong that he had another way to kill everyone.

 _He's lying_ , Nick told himself, glancing at Felix reflexively, as the one he knew least. _There's no way anyone from the ZPD would betray…_

Nick turned in his seat to stare at Harry, who glared back at him. After a second, Harry held up his middle finger.

"I'm not a traitor, stupid," Harry insisted. "What more do I need to do to proo—"

Before Nick realized his mistake, Pearl was in motion, twisting his whole body to move toward Skye and past her, sweeping her pistol out of her paw. She tried to stop him, but he came right up to his hind paws and kicked Skye in the chest, slamming her against the cabin wall with a pained gasp.

"Everyone on the floor!" Pearl ordered, turning the pistol toward Nick and Judy—rather, slightly lower. He was aiming at the kits. Skye froze, half on and half off the bench seat. "Anyone moves, and I begin thinning the population of prey on this flight."

Nick released his grip on his own pistol, letting it pivot on his finger. Slowly, he lowered it to the floor, while bringing his other arm across the kits in his lap. He inched down onto his knees on the cabin floor. "You don't need to do this."

"Oh, he does," Rolen said, chuckling. "Ten years of training, and he's among my finest. You should be happy for him. He has purpose in his life, unlike most of you. Pearl knows where he belongs…and who he belongs to. In case you were concerned, I will not be breaking my promise. The sticky part is where I said I would allow you to take me into Zootopian lands. I'll be leaving the moment we cross the border to ensure that promise remains intact. It's somewhat of a technicality, but the foxes here will understand."

Pearl smiled sadly, taking several steps back toward Rolen. "What would you have me do, master?"

Nick glanced sideways at Judy, but she was no longer paying attention to him. Instead, she turned slowly to put the whole of her body between Pearl and the kits, as she knelt. Looking the other way, he found Skye and Harry ready to move, watching Pearl with hardened hatred. Family or not, they intended to kill him, if given half a chance, though they too were easing themselves onto the floor. Carl, Cyndi, and Stan did likewise.

"Very good," Rolen told the room, grinning as he put his balled paws on his hips. "You all can be taught. Pearl, you've done well. Your family will praise your loyalty in the next life. For now, keep them all on their knees, where they belong. Kill anyone who resists, and execute one of the littler bunnies for every act of disobedience."

Nick clenched his jaw, wanting to say something biting, but the squirming kits in his arms were reason enough to stay quiet. If they had not been, Judy kneeling beside him, tearfully shushing the other kits certainly was.

Turning to the wall of the plane, Rolen plucked one of the parachutes off its hook, and began adjusting the straps to fit his large frame. "A true shame it ends like this. I've enjoyed our battles. Nick, Judy, Snow, and Harry…you've been wonderful opponents. When I leave the plane, Pearl here has full authority to kill all of you. I do expect you'll resist him, possibly even kill him. If he lives, he will crash the plane into the woods below. If he dies, I expect at least half of you will be dead first."

A very faint click off to Nick's left drew his attention. Peeking with his head down, he saw that Skye had Harry's collar off and held behind her back near her tail, where Pearl and Rolen would be unable to see it. Blood dripped through the white fur of her fingers, letting him know she had been less than careful in removing it. She was watching Nick intently, making certain he saw the collar.

 _Okay, so you have a collar, you nut_ , he thought, unsure how to even communicate that he had seen. _How does that help us?_

"Now, I must bid you all—" Rolen began, just as Milo stepped into the doorway of the cockpit, staring wide-eyed at the cabin, a small pistol in his left paw.

For several long seconds, Rolen and Milo watched each other, while Pearl frantically glanced between Milo and Skye, while keeping his gun on Judy. To Nick's shock, it was Milo who made the first move, diving sideways as he fired at Rolen, hitting the bear in the shoulder and head near his ear.

With a roar, Rolen rushed at the cabin door, pulling the straps on his parachute tight as he moved.

Pearl adjusted and began firing at Milo—who had disappeared back into the cockpit—while Skye ran across the room, joined a second later by Nick after he had slid the two kits over to Judy.

Together, Nick and Skye tackled Pearl, with Nick grabbing the smaller fox's wrists to keep him from firing at anyone, while Skye grabbed one of his ankles. Pearl twisted and thrashed, and managed to get his knee to Nick's jaw, sending him tumbling with ears ringing. When Nick righted himself, Pearl was on the floor convulsing, while Skye held a small remote. On Pearl's ankle, Skye had strapped Harry's collar, which she was triggering.

Across the cabin, Rolen finished pulling the lever to open the door, and the entire cabin roared as winds whipped across the interior, ripping the door right off its hinges.

A gunshot went off, grazing Rolen's leg, and he fell to one knee in the doorway. Who fired, Nick had no idea, though Milo was the only one still armed as far as he knew. Instead of trying to figure out something that no longer mattered, he slid back to the bench, where Judy was struggling to keep herself and the kits from being blown away. He swept the five bunny kits up in one arm, while using the other to cling to the bench itself.

"Everyone okay?" Nick yelled, though he could barely hear himself.

"I'm going after him!" Judy announced, and before Nick could try to find a way to stop her, she was running for the open door of the plane.

"Are you crazy?" Nick practically screamed, twisting to watch Judy dive for Rolen.

With a bounding leap, Judy landed on Rolen's parachute, reaching for the straps. She likely intended to make it too risky for him to jump, but Rolen did not appear to even notice her. She had barely loosened one shoulder's buckles before he rolled out of the door, tumbling into the sky beyond.

Diving off of Rolen, Judy hit the floor hard, but slid back toward the door in the high winds. She looked up, meeting Nick's eyes for one second, before she was swept out right behind Rolen. Unlike him, she flailed in midair, having no parachute.

"Judy!" Nick bellowed, trying to find some way to go after her, but the kits would likely be blown out with him if he tried. Howling in dismay, Nick dug his claws into the bench, frantic for some way to save his love.

"I've got her!" Harry called out, running across the room. He jumped as he neared the door, catching the spare parachute and pulling it off its hook as he flew right out the doorway.

The next minute was a blur of air whistling around them, until at last the plane came down lower to the trees and slowed as much as Milo could manage without crashing it outright. One by one, the mammals stood up and stared at the doorway, unsure what to say.

"Milo, turn the plane around," Nick said, his voice faint. When no one moved, he repeated more loudly, "Milo! Turn around!"

"Belay that!" Skye called out, moving carefully toward the cockpit with one paw on the wall of the cabin, leaving long smears of blood. "We've got rescues and the military's already looking for us. Get us to a safe landing point, Milo."

Scooping up all five kits, Nick dropped them unceremoniously into Stan's lap and marched up to Skye, who blocked the only way for him to reach Milo.

"Move aside," Nick growled, extending his claws as he reached Skye. "We're going back for them."

Skye's eyes narrowed, but she did not otherwise move. "Not happening, Nick. If you think I'm any less terrified by what just happened, you're an idiot. I want to go after them, too, but this is the mission. Right now, a thousand soldiers are looking for _us_. Not them, us. This plane will be torn apart the instant we're in range. We need to trust that Judy and Harry are resourceful enough to get out."

"That's an awfully large amount of trust, when they have nothing."

"Not nothing," Skye countered. For the first time, she seemed to realize her paw was still dripping blood and pressed it to her pants. "Harry has the sat phone and my pistol. It's not perfect, but it has to be enough."

"What if it's not?"

Skye opened her mouth to argue, but seemed to abruptly get dizzy and stumble. She made one attempt to steady herself, her paws sliding off the doorframe, before she practically fell into a seated position. Sighing, she leaned against the wall and looked up at Nick. "I'm sorry, Nick. You know we can't do anything. They're easily fifty miles away by now and we don't have more chutes. I…I can't…"

Nick reached down to shove Skye aside, but stopped. He grumbled softly, then took a knee in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"Doesn't matter," she told him, closing her eyes. "We finished the mission and saved a few lives."

Swatting away her unharmed paw when she tried to stop him, Nick grabbed Skye's bleeding one. He forced her fingers open, finding both burns and cuts from removing Harry's collar. Looking back at where she had been sitting originally, he saw a large pool of blood. The way her hand was bleeding, he knew she was going to go into shock, if she was not already there. Hurriedly, he pulled off his vest and wrapped her paw tightly to slow the blood loss.

"You're right," Nick whispered, once he was certain Skye would not bleed to death. "I'm sorry."

Skye smiled weakly. "Don't be. We both lost someone we cared deeply about. I have faith they will come back. For now, we need to believe in them. We have to take care of the others. We need to be strong, and let them see that we can endure anything."

Turning slightly, Nick surveyed the rest of the plane. Stan still held the bunny kits, who were gesturing toward Nick, trying to free themselves from the far larger lion. Every other mammal in the cabin watched him and Skye, the worry that the plane would go right back into a war zone clear on every face.

"Everyone strap in," he told the others, forcing himself to sound confident. "Judy and Harry have this under control. We're in for a long and bumpy ride home. Once we unload the civilians, we'll figure out our next steps."

With a sense of utter hopelessness in his heart, but not on his face, Nick helped Skye back to her seat. The rest of the flight, he concentrated on making sure the others would be fine, if only to keep his mind off his own dread. By the time they were descending into Zootopian lands near what was left of Podunk, he rested with his back to the cabin wall, with all five kits in his lap and the recovered journal pages clutched in one paw.


	9. Chapter 8-2

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.2 – The Long Road Home

 **August 29** **th** **, Sunday – Happytown**

"It's your turn, Nick," Skye announced, as she came up the stairs from the makeshift operatory Milo had been manning almost nonstop since they had snuck back into the city late the night before. Her right paw was wrapped in a soft cast to keep her from bumping the many stitches the lemur had just finished putting in. One look at her face let Nick know she was not only in pain, but still very light-headed from so much blood loss. "He says everyone who was bleeding is patched up, now. We're down to dealing with your scars before Bogo catches wind of your return."

Nick remained in the large comfy chair in what he had taken to calling the "lobby" of the shabby old building they were using as a hideout. In his lap, the five bunny kits were curled into tiny balls of fluff, snoring softly, as though they did not have a care in the world. Given their lives in the south, he had to assume that being in a strange predator's lap was about as relaxing as anything.

"Any information on Judy and Harry?" Nick asked, hopefully.

Skye frowned and shook her head. "No. Same as the last twenty times you asked. The sat phone is still turned off. Milo has an alarm set up for the moment it reports in, even if they don't call. I won't keep that from you."

"And if they didn't make it?"

The frown faded into worry. "There's no way to know. I have to believe they're fine. I refuse to accept that either of them is gone. Now, do I need to drag you into the operatory, or are you going to get this dealt with?"

Nick smiled without feeling any emotion behind it. Shrugging, he turned his attention to the kits in his lap. "What happens to them now?"

"You had it about right on the plane," Skye admitted, sitting down on the floor and sweeping her tail into her lap, to use as a pillow for her paw. Doing so allowed Nick to see the long patches of dried blood stuck in her tail fur. "We report their recovery to Cub Protective Services, and they begin looking for someone to adopt them. That will take a few months, during which time they will stay with a foster family and CPS will file any number of complaints with the ZBI about the scars on their arms and stomachs."

"Would they already have had both surgeries?" he asked. The kits seemed far too young for more than the markings on their arms, which he could see clearly. "What age do they normally sterilize them…rather…all of you?"

Skye crinkled her brow a moment, then shook her head. "No, you're right. I must be more tired than I thought. Age ten is when they sterilize prey, or whenever one has their first incident with the law, if you're a fox or similar. None of them are that old. Five to seven, I would guess."

"Can we get their arm scars removed?"

"We can. They'll be confused when they wake with their arms stinging, but it is a good idea. It would give them a better chance at a new life here, and less ostracizing from locals. Milo's helped children before. He's remarkably good at dealing with them, even if he's less so with us."

"They go before I do," Nick told Skye. "Mine don't matter too much. Theirs do. When they get home, I don't want anything else awful waiting for them, like a surgery. The collars, too. I'm not taking them outside this building with collars on them. I want the last of their old lives to go away now."

"There isn't a home waiting for them, Nick. They're probably going to stay in this building until Cub Services is ready for them. It's still better than anything they've ever known. It's not like the ZBI can set up foster families right now."

"They have a home. Mine. It'll be good for them and for me, until they're adopted, or Judy makes it home. They need someone to care for them, and I need someone to love on, so I don't think about where she's at."

Skye watched him, evaluating everything. "You're a better animal than you let on, Nick. I know I couldn't do it."

"You've got your own adoption problems. How's Pearl?"

That make Skye flinch, and she remained silent a while. When she did finally talk, she was quiet and sounded distant. "He's awake and very angry. Thinks he failed his warlord by letting me live. I tried to talk with him, but he threw himself at the cell bars until I left. Milo believes with the right treatment, he will overcome the brainwashing, but it won't be quick. I'm more or less committed to spending the next few years rehabilitating him."

Gently, Nick lifted the kits in his arms and stood. Once he was upright, he realized how exhausted he was after not having slept the night before. Emotional and physical exertion was rapidly reaching his absolute limits. Staying still for a few seconds to steady himself, he then took the kits down to Milo's lab.

Nick carried the kits to Milo's table, and as he entered the room, the lemur hurriedly spread a thick blanket over the metal surface. Putting the kits down was a struggle, both to keep from waking them, and also because Nick really did not want to let go. In a strange way, they were all he had left of Judy, until she came back.

"So you did have a blanket?" Nick asked, once the last kit was settled on the table. "That table's really cold."

"I know it is," Milo replied, giving a half-hearted smirk. "I'm a jerk, but only to those I know can take it. Let me guess—we're doing a collar removal on five kits?"

"Yeah. I want their slave markings removed, too. Can you do it without them feeling anything?"

"I can and will. You mind if we hold off on yours until tomorrow? It's been a long day, and after five of these, I won't be in any shape to keep working. You really don't want me handling surgical instruments when I'm woozy."

"I'm fine with that. You safe working on them?"

Milo chuckled and nodded vigorously. "I've got a few hours of work left in me, before it's even in doubt. They'll be fine. I don't make promises often, but I can and will on this."

"Not that I don't believe you, but I'm not leaving," Nick assured Milo, and slid over a chair. "I've lost too many mammals today. I'm paranoid now."

Milo did not reply, and instead turned to check each of the bunny kits. One by one, he lifted a small metal tube in front of their face and sprayed something near their noses. A second later, Nick could pick up the faint scent of the same anesthetic the ZPD used in their tranquiller darts.

"I do ask that you find something else to look at," warned Milo, as he slid a cart closer to the table. "I'll be gentle and they'll be fine when they wake, but no surgical procedure is easy to watch. There are magazines in the cabinet."

Nick tried to keep watching Milo, but the lemur looked up at him with such a worried stare that he could not convince himself it was a good idea. Closing his eyes, Nick tried to relax, in the vague hope he might be able to pass some of the time, until he was able to take the kits back to the rooms at the back end of the building to sleep.

It only took seconds and Nick was asleep, the long period without actually sleeping catching up with him abruptly. Dark, violent dreams assaulted him immediately, filling his head with thoughts of what might happen to Judy wherever she was, ranging from Rolen finding and killing her to…somewhat more creative and somehow more hurtful ideas involving Harry. At least once, he saw Otto throwing a car at her. Each was a horror in its own way, tormenting his slumber, until at last he snapped awake.

Gasping, Nick looked around the room, trying to make sense of the rush of fear, anger, and confusion that nearly overwhelmed him. He had barely opened his eyes before he realized he was still in the operating room's chair, but now held all five bunny kits, wrapped in a heavy blanket. The kits were still asleep, noses—the only part of them that poked completely out of the blanket—twitching as they dreamed. A quick check let him see that their forearms were bandaged and he could see the thin fur on their necks where their collars had been.

Nick looked up at a faint sound, and found Milo nearby, carrying a second blanket. The lemur waddled over alongside Nick's chair and tossed the blanket over his shoulder on the second try.

"Don't tell anyone I was nice," the doctor whispered, grinning as he went around to Nick's far side and flicked the blanket over his other shoulder. "A mad scientist's only as good as the stories about him."

"It's the same for hustlers," Nick told him, as he pulled the kits closer.

"Nah," Milo replied, once the blanket was covering Nick. "Better education in the mad sciences. Hustlers are more like lunatic dropouts. We're professionals."

Nick checked on each of the kits, then returned his attention to Milo. "Are they all okay?"

"As much as anyone is, coming out of those lands. They'll probably sleep ten or twelve hours. When they wake, they're going to be sore and cranky. They'll feel a little off-balance and anxious until they get used to not having collars. The fur on their arms should start filling in right away. Give them a week, and there'll be very little left to show. Your markings will take weeks to fully vanish, once we do the surgery."

"I'm glad they'll be okay." Nick relaxed into the chair, ready to sleep for as long as he could manage. "Wake me when—"

A distant boom shook the building. Tilting his ears, Nick could faintly hear heavy pawsteps on the top floor, followed by several shouts that were too muffled to make out. By the sound of it, a half dozen mammals had forced their way into the building.

"Whatever's happening, we'll handle it," Milo insisted, motioning for Nick to stay where he was. "Snow and the others are always ready for anything. I'll go make sure it's under control, then come right back."

Milo did not wait for Nick to reply, hurrying out of the room as quickly as he could. Faintly, Nick heard the door lock, followed by the soft pattering of Milo running upstairs.

Another boom almost directly over Nick drew his attention to the ceiling. Thin lines of dust fell from overhead, as something stomped around.

 _Maybe it's more surviving ZBI agents checking in_ , Nick tried to assure himself. Despite his thoughts, he slid his arms more securely around the kits, in case he had to run. _No gunfire, so it can't be_ —

A series of sharp pops overhead were unmistakably the sounds of tranquillizer guns. After every few shots, he heard a mammal hit the floor. Soon, the building went silent, making him wonder if anyone was still standing.

"Okay, let's slip out the back," he said softly to the kits, as he got his paws under himself. "Sort it out later."

Nick had only taken a few steps, when he heard thumping on the stairs Milo had used to leave. Hurrying, Nick went to the far door of the room, but with the kits in his arms, he struggled with the door handle. He managed to click it open, only to have the far door bang and rattle as something heavy hit it hard.

Looking back, Nick saw that the door was already splintered. Whatever was on the far side would be through in one or two more solid strikes. There was simply no way he was going to get much of a head start, especially dizzy. What he could hope for was that whoever was coming in did not have an amazing sense of smell.

Nick kicked the door the rest of the way open, hoping whoever came in would think he had gotten away. Turning with the kits, he ran back to the row of cabinets on one wall. He ducked behind the last one, where the scent of alcohol and disinfectants would be more likely to hide him. Slowing his breathing, he was dearly thankful that the kits were still asleep, ensuring they would not cry out.

Only seconds after he got into cover, the door buckled as it was struck a second time, and even huddled in the shadows he could see pieces of the door scatter across much of the room. One final booming crash sent the majority of the door crashing against the table in the middle of the room. In his mind's eye, he pictured Rolen or Otto standing at the doorway, given the amount of damage done with so little effort.

From where he hid, Nick could hear huffing breaths as someone remained in the doorway. He inched down toward the floor, hoping to sink further into the shadows. No sooner had his tail come down on the cold floor, than hooves clattered against the cement floor. Whoever was at the door was moving tentatively into the room.

Nick inhaled slowly, holding his breath once he was certain that the intruder was moving across to the far door. The seconds ticked by, the hooves coming down almost in time with his pounding heart. A shadow soon crossed the line of Nick's view, letting him know that he would see the intruder in another few steps, but then they stopped moving.

"Sir!" called out someone back near the stairs. "We've got them all secured. Do you want us to take them—? Uh…sir, is that…Wilde's scent?"

Nick blinked and let out his breath. Sniffing as quietly as he could, he picked up two familiar scents: Chief Bogo and Officer Oats. Unable to come up with any reason they might be in the building, he leaned forward until he could peek around the cabinets. There, standing alongside the surgery table was Chief Bogo, with Oats near the broken door.

"Get back upstairs, officer," Bogo snapped, pointing toward the stairs. "I said no one comes down here, didn't I?"

"You…you did, sir," replied the horse, nervously glancing around the room, even as he backed away. "But sir, if Wilde…"

"You saw the report and stood there at the funeral yourself, officer. Wilde is dead. Whatever you think you smell, you're probably wrong until I tell you otherwise. Now get back to the others."

The harsh clacks of Officer Oats' hooves let Nick gauge when he was likely out of earshot. Soon, the only sounds were Nick's pounding heart, the kits' soft breathing, and Bogo's occasional huffs.

"I assume you're still here," Bogo said loudly, still without moving from his spot. "Nick, we've got the building secured. I don't know what's going on, but I couldn't wait any longer for Snow to fill me in. I won't hunt you down. Some anonymous caller watched Mister Big's plane land, and we knew it was time to bring this to an end. I would have waited until you came back on your own, but your mother needs you."

Sliding into the light, Nick met Bogo's stare. "My mother? Chief, what's going on?"

"Welcome home, Wilde," Bogo told him, smiling sadly. The larger mammal looked down at the kits in Nick's arms, then back to his face. "We'll take you to her, and cover for why you were gone. There's no more time for hiding from the world. Whether the mission was a success or failure, we need to go."

"Where's my mother?"

Bogo sighed and holstered his tranquillizer pistol, which Nick had not even realized was previously drawn. "She's in the hospital. The breathing problems came back right after you left. You need to decide if you are a ZBI agent or a ZPD officer right now. I won't make that choice for you."

One more step and Nick was fully in the light. "What do you mean? I'm helping the ZBI…"

"This is no time to argue, Nick. If you're with the ZBI, you need to stay dead, even if that means you don't see your mother again. Protect the city, or be with your family. I'll do whatever I can to help you, no matter what you choose. Pick the ZBI, and I leave now. The ZPD will hear that I never found any sign you'd been here. Pick the ZPD, and we'll do what we can to pick up after the mess Snow left."

Nick held his ground, searching the smooth floor for answers it could not give him. Slowly, his attention went back to the bunny kits, who had begun to stir.

"I know what I have to do, sir," he told Bogo, as he straightened his shoulders.


	10. Chapter 8-3

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.3 – The Long Road Home

 **September 6** **th** **, Monday – Savannah Central**

"You comfortable in there?" Nick called out, while carefully balancing the steaming carrot casserole held in an oven mitt in his right paw. In his left arm, he cradled the youngest of the bunny kits, Kara, as she cried, having fallen down while chasing her four brothers and sisters in the apartment, leading to skinned knees. "If not, I'll be right in."

"I'm fine, Nicky," his mother grumbled back, sounding more annoyed than the last time he had asked. "I'm sick and old, not an invalid. What's the trick for dealing with Michael? He's trying to chew on my arm again."

Nick sighed and set the casserole down on the stovetop, so he could more easily bounce Kara. She settled almost immediately, burying her face against his shoulder. "Mom, give him the stick alongside the couch. His teeth are bothering him, because no one taught him how to take care of them until now. Also, he's Mike, not Michael. Michael sounds like an angel, and I can rule that out after he chewed on my tail this morning."

"The little piece of wood near the remote?"

"Yes," Nick said over his shoulder. He quickly spooned one glob of the orange casserole onto each of five plates already lined up on the counter. "The stick with the very obvious bite marks. That's the one."

"Don't be sarcastic, Nick… Michael, not my cane, honey. Here, take this… Oh, almost lost a finger. I have no idea why bunnies were ever afraid of _us_."

Nick set Kara down on the floor, only to have her immediately jump for one of the plates, pulling it off the counter and almost onto her head. Before he could scold her, she was already out of the kitchen and running to hide with her stolen meal, likely in the small pillow fort near the couch she and her sister, Amy, had built earlier that day.

"Kits, dinner is—" Nick started to yell, only to have four bunnies race into the kitchen and scramble over each other to grab plates. "Amy, stop stepping on your brother. Mike, no biting. Mary…Mary?" Nick grumbled and went to the kits, pulling Mary off of Seth, who she had been about to knock down. "Mary, no fighting."

"I'm not Mary," the bunny grumbled, as she squirmed to get out of his paw.

"I refuse to call you Fidget, even if it's true," he insisted, holding her in front of his face. "We use real names here. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

Mary scowled at him and crossed her arms over her chest, despite still dangling off the floor. "You got small ears, so how're you all ears?"

"Oh, you are going to be loads of fun as a teenager, aren't you?" Nick muttered, putting Mary down on her hind paws once the others were done grabbing their plates. "All right, kits, everyone out in the main room to eat. No one's hiding under anything tonight. We're eating like a real family."

One of the kits—Nick wasn't sure which of the males—announced behind him, "You aren't family. Neither are any of them."

"Not wrong." Nick stared at the casserole, realizing he had entirely forgotten to make himself anything. Sighing, he pulled out another plate and tossed some of the mashed carrots onto it. "I don't have to be blood to be family. I love you all and am taking care of you. That's pretty good, as far as family goes. Anyone going to try to question whether I love you all?" With his plate full, Nick glanced down at the kits, all standing near the door to the hall. Five sets of big eyes stared at him somewhat sadly. Apparently, they had not expected the sentiment, and he realized it was the first time he had voiced it. "That's what I thought. Everyone go sit down near the TV. Gramma will want to tell you a story while you eat, so she can pretend she's older than she is."

"I can hear you, Nicholas," Marian replied from the front room.

"I should hope so," he replied, grinning.

The kits hurried from the kitchen, bounding almost over top of each other as they made their way to the front of the apartment. Nick followed more slowly, eyeing the casserole warily, wondering if perhaps he had messed up the recipe, as it did not look or smell even remotely edible, despite the bunnies already nibbling at it before they had found their seats.

Nick walked into the front room last, only to find that Seth had taken the seat alongside Marian, while Mary and Kara were sitting on her legs, already eating. Mike and Amy had at least been kind enough to sit on the floor with their plates on their laps.

Going to the couch, Nick picked up Seth by the scruff of his neck, sat down in his place, then put the kit on his own knee. "Okay, now you can dig in."

Five bunnies looked up at Nick with confused stares, their mouths already full and plates half-empty.

Marian chuckled and shook her head. "That's a lost battle, Nicky. They still think someone will steal their food if they don't eat fast enough."

"No one in this household is stealing carrot casserole," Nick assured the bunnies, holding up his own plate. "If they do, they're getting a smack on the rump. Understood?"

All five kits nodded, as their ears and heads sank. They pulled their plates close to their chests, huddling down nervously.

"And that came out all wrong," Nick said, feeling ashamed of himself instantly. "What I meant was that you'll get scolded if you take from each other. I won't ever hurt any of you. This isn't like where you're from."

The kits seemed to relax ever so slightly, but remained hunkered down over their food, eating quickly. Seeing this routine repeated every meal never failed to break Nick's heart, making him wonder what had been done to children to make them so fearful of everyone, including each other. Much as he wanted to ask, he really did not want the answer.

Shifting his plate to his free knee, Nick spooned up a large bite and shoved it into his mouth, hoping he could swallow it without tasting it. No such luck. The mushiness of the carrots and particular flavor made his muzzle crinkle and he choked down the bite hurriedly. As bad as it tasted, there was simply no way he could think of anything but Judy when smelling and tasting carrots. That, in turn, made him even more sick to his stomach to even have her cross his mind when eating, given the first meal he had been given at Katrina's home.

"You sure you don't want any, mom?" Nick asked, as he tried to let the flavor fade before trying to force down another spoonful.

Marian laughed and shook her head. "I had leftover bugburger stew late this afternoon."

Nick cocked his head, eyeing her warily. Despite her voice sounding strong, she looked weak. When he had left Zootopia, his mother had been thin but healthy. Now, even with the winter fluff of her fur, he could see the lines of her skull and all four of her paws looked boney. She had difficulty moving her tail without conscious effort, and the walk to the kitchen or bathroom exhausted her to the point of needing a rest. Still, she put on a good act—at least for anyone who did not know how to read her as well as Nick did. The last few days, Nick and Finnick had taken turns making sure she had someone close at paw at all times, despite her objections. That had meant checking her out of her condo permanently.

"You're staring again, Nicky," she warned, without looking his way. Somehow, she always knew. "I'm feeling better each day. The doctors said I was fit enough to go home. You don't need to keep watching me."

Nick opened his mouth to argue, but realized there was no point with Marian. She would win, no matter how much logic or trickery he used. In that, she was more like Judy than anyone he had met.

The doctors had been quite far from calling her "fit." Instead, they had urged Nick to call in any relatives they had—which meant himself and Finnick—and take her home to be comfortable and loved. They had not explicitly said that she was facing death soon, but they had not needed to, either. That conversation had happened during her first stint in the hospital, when they had gone into great detail explaining how the virus racking her body would keep weakening her, one bout at a time, until she passed. This round had been especially hard, and Nick could not help but blame himself for the extra stress he had put on her. He would hate himself for the rest of his life if she died because of his mission.

"Still staring," Marian chided, bouncing one of the kits on her knee. "Something you want to say, Nicky?"

"Nope, not a thing," he lied. There was no point saying it. He would only worry the kits, and they had enough on their minds already. "Just thinking you should eat something."

"Already said I wasn't hungry."

"I'll fix you some more stew after we get done eating."

Marian finally looked at Nick, giving him a chiding stare that he knew was meant to make him back down. After so many years dealing with her, he had no intention of doing so. "Fine. I'll have some stew once everyone's settled in for the night."

Nick thanked her, and without thinking put another spoonful of casserole in his mouth. His throat fought back immediately, nearly choking on the carrots. With great effort he forced the food past his gag reflex. Despite his desire to never have another carrot in his mouth, he was still hungry, and the plate of food was all they had in the apartment, other than the stew he was saving for his mother. A trip to the grocery was sorely in order, but would have to wait until Finnick could come over in the morning.

Reaching for another spoonful of the bunny-food, Nick froze when his cell phone rang across the room on the table near the window. He was tempted to ignore it, but the kindness Bogo had shown him by putting him on paid leave until everything with the ZBI had been settled mandated that he pick up if called.

Nick slid Seth over onto the cushion beside him and got up, heading for the table. He set aside his plate as soon as he saw the picture of Bogo posing with Gazelle flashing on the screen, and picked up the phone, hoping there was some good news.

"Hey, chief," he said, as he answered the line. "Please tell me you've got everything under control."

Bogo's warm chuckle relieved Nick's fears instantly. "Not entirely, but we're well under way, Wilde. I've got access to the ZBI tracking systems, per mayoral orders. If Hopps calls, we'll know instantly. The news is picking up the story about your death having been a case of mistaken identity by the morgue. It should be safe for you to be seen in public. We're almost past this. Cannus, Spetz, and Delgato are returning to active duty once the department councilor clears them, though they've been advising Delgato to wait until his mane has started filling in. None of them have quite forgiven me for darting them during the raid on the ZBI."

"You skipped over a few things," Nick noted, sitting down on the chair near the table. "The kits?"

Bogo sighed. "That wasn't an easy sell, but I think you'll be fine keeping them, until you're ready to adopt or not. The ZPD has put in a recommendation signed by twenty officers. If that's not enough, the assistant mayor has signed a recommendation, too. I doubt there's an agency in the world who wouldn't approve the foster home now. Put those worries behind you."

Nick wanted to let the conversation drop there, but he knew there were other items on his list. "What about the ZBI? Snow and Milo have been in the county jail since we got back. I'd like to speak with them."

"Impossible for now," Bogo replied sharply. "Milo, I think I can get released later today. Snow's in more trouble than I can make go away. Signing off on the statement about what she had done to you and Hopps isn't something we can ignore. She did ask for a quick trial, though. I'd say you should stay away—"

"We both know that's not happening, chief."

"I thought as much. If you need to be there, the trial's Thursday. You don't need to testify, Wilde. We've got this. Take your time off."

Nick could hear the determination in Bogo's tone. He intended to throw the book at Skye. "I'll testify to her intentions. The jury can sort out the rest."

"No jury." Bogo paused, as though letting that sink in. "This is a bench trial. Given that most of the ZBI's actions are outside public view, we can't sit a jury. The mayor is pushing for harsh punishment for her."

Nick's shoulders sank at the realization of what the lack of jury meant. One mammal was going to decide whether Skye went to prison for life, or whether her intentions outweighed the laws she broke getting there. This was going to be too close of a verdict to even wager on. He knew she had done everything for good reason, but convincing others would take months or years. He had only the length of a trial, likely a few hours at best.

"I'll be there. Put me on the stand," Nick insisted.

"You're one of the victims, so that's easily done. You sure about this, Wilde?"

"Very sure."

Bogo's huff left little doubt of what he thought of that decision, but he had the decency to keep his thoughts on it to himself. "When do you think we can expect you back at the precinct?"

Nick glanced over at his mother, who was softly telling the kits a story to keep them distracted while he was on the phone. He lowered his voice, hoping they would not overhear him. "Psych still wants to clear me, but I need some time. Mom's not doing great, and the kits need to settle in. Give me a week?"

"I'll give you two," Bogo replied immediately. "After the summer and fall you've had, I'll give you plenty of time. Besides, the mayor says you're some kind of hero. Bringing attention to the problems in the south was a big deal. Doesn't matter that we've been filing reports for years about it, your actions down there have the whole region watching and worried. With luck, we can avoid another Podunk. You and your team will be taking the credit for it."

Nick mumbled his understanding, but turned his attention to the stack of ragged papers he had taken from the Ursian government building. They had lain on the table since he had gotten home, as he had no real idea what to do with them. "Here's hoping we can avoid another Podunk, sir. I'm no hero, though."

"Take care, Wilde," Bogo said more gently. "I'll see you at the courthouse Thursday. If you need anything between now and then, say so."

Nick thanked the chief and hung up, then put on his best smile. "Okay, kits, good news. I can stay home a few more days. No one gets to run rampant over gramma just yet."

The kits all looked over at him and frowned. Two of them even going so far as to pout. Clearly, Marian was managing to spoil them already, despite him being there the whole time. He could only imagine how bad it would be once he had to go back to work.


	11. Chapter 8-4

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.4 – The Long Road Home

 **September 9** **th** **, Thursday – City Center Courthouse**

"Sir, this doesn't give me a lot of faith in the system," Nick argued, motioning toward the closed courtroom door, and the pair of boars who guarded it. "We're an hour into the trial, and we haven't set paw in there. How is this even being called a trial, if no one can testify?"

Bogo stomped one hoof and glowered at the boars. "I'm not excusing it, Wilde. I don't have any say. The judge ordered the court sealed, so Snow could testify freely about top secret matters. All I can do is try to ensure you get your chance before he makes his ruling."

Nick turned to face the door and began adjusting his ears, trying to clarify the faint sounds coming through from the courtroom. Aside from a word here and there, it was mostly a jumbled mess. He could pick up Milo's higher-pitched voice, as well as Nathanial's—the caracal who acted as the political adviser for the mayor. Once or twice, he thought he heard Skye say something, but it was too brief to be certain.

A faint rap of a gavel made Nick's ears shoot straight up. "Sir, the judge is ready to rule."

"Like hell he is," Bogo muttered, rounding on the boars. "Move aside. This fox is supposed to testify before the case ends. He's on the docket, so he needs to be here."

The boars exchanged glances and shrugged. The one on Nick's left replied, "Don't care. Our orders are that no one comes in without the judge asking for them by name, even if they were supposed to be here. Mayor specifically asked to keep you two out until after the trial."

Bogo straightened and tightened his hooves into fists. "That would have been good to know an hour ago. Now I'm going to have to insist."

Lowering their hooves to their tranquilizer guns, the boars watched Bogo warily. "Back down, sir. We have our orders. You're about the last person we want to put on the ground."

"Wilde," Bogo said softly, without taking his eyes off the guards. "Are you sure you want in there?"

"I am," Nick answered immediately.

Before Nick realized Bogo had a plan, the bison rushed the boars, slamming them into the doors while they struggled to draw their weapons. Bogo pulled both into a powerful hug, then drove his shoulder into the doors, breaking them inward.

"Sorry for the interruption," Bogo announced, as he hoisted the squirming boars under each arm. The loud snap of one of the tranquilizer guns went off, and Bogo glared briefly at the boar under his left arm. "Your honor, one of the witnesses has had no chance to testify. We were assured that would happen and I want to see the right thing done."

Nick followed Bogo over the broken remains of the doors and was somewhat shocked at what he saw inside the courtroom. To his left, Skye sat at a table, her head low and thick manacles on her wrists and ankles, ensuring she could not run. Beside her, Pearl was similarly chained, though he also sported a muzzle and had been fastened to a ring on the floor, so that if he did try to leave, he would not make it more than a few steps. Seated with them, but out of reach, was Milo, looking absolutely terrified of everything and everyone. To Nick's right, Nathanial and an older antelope he did not know—likely the city's prosecuting attorney—had turned in their seats to stare at him. The only other mammal in the room was the judge, a middle-aged llama, who glowered at Bogo angrily.

"Police Chief Bogo," the judge said dryly. "While I appreciate your good intentions, you have no place interrupting a court proceeding. Do you have anything you can say to justify your actions?"

"I know the routine, your honor," Bogo replied, as he placed the boars back on their hooves. They backed quickly away from him, and Nick swore he saw Bogo give each an amused smirk. "Contempt of court. I interrupted, fully understanding the consequences. My officer needs to be heard."

Nick looked up at Bogo, wishing he had realized that his boss was going to face charges before agreeing to let him break in. Now, there was little he could do without making matters worse.

"Two hundred bucks fine to pay for the doors," the judge said, pointing his gavel at Bogo. "Two days in your own jail. You interrupt again, the penalties are going to get far worse. You break anything else in my courtroom, and I'll have you removed from the ZPD. Do we understand each other?"

"We do, your honor," answered Bogo, clasping his hooves behind his back. "May my officer testify, or is the trial ongoing?"

The llama turned his gaze on Nick. "Your chief has impeccable timing. I was about to issue my ruling. What can you add to this case, officer?"

Nick slowly padded toward the front of the courtroom, trying the whole way to draw Skye's eye, but she kept her head low. He swore she looked to be on the verge of tears, which did not speak well of how the trial had gone. "Your honor, I don't know what's been said so far, so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. I can speak to their character…"

"I'll save you the rambling," the judge said, leaning back in his chair with a loud creak. "Agent Snow has testified that the plan to invade a foreign nation without approval from the government was her idea and hers alone. She has absolved Mister Scurrin of any responsibility, despite his repeated objections. She has pleaded for the opportunity to be released into the public to spend her time caring for her brother, who has admitted he intends to kill all of us in rather explicit ways—and offered to draw pictures if I don't understand him. Right now, what I'm lacking is any understanding of why she thought she could get away with this, and any testimony from her superiors, who failed to show for this trial. Her character is fairly low on my list of concerns, given the list of crimes committed, including many against you and your partner."

Nick stopped walking as he came up between the two tables. Finally, Skye looked up and sadly smiled at him. He knew the expression. She intended to take the fall. Everything was her fault in her mind. She would let the city punish her for it all, ranging from the crimes she had committed, likely all the way up to blaming herself for the fall of the ZBI when Rolen had first attacked. With no one to counter her claims, she was looking at a lifetime in prison, if she was lucky.

"Your honor, she did commit crimes against the city, myself, and my partner," Nick admitted, smiling when Skye's eyes widened in surprise. "Some really awful ones, at that. Did she mention that she told my friends and family I was dead? We had a funeral and everything."

"I actually did not know that," the llama replied, chuckling. "I'll add it to the list."

"She verbally and physically assaulted us," Nick continued, forcing himself to keep talking when Skye's expression shifted to one of absolute misery and betrayal, though Pearl actually perked up. "We lost everything in Snow's efforts to get us to help. Taken at face value, that alone warrants putting her away for years."

"This testimony is consistent with the rest. Your chief may have gotten himself penalized for nothing."

Nick took a second to steady his nerves, then turned to center the judge in his vision and keep Skye out of sight. "Despite all of that, Snow has worked tirelessly to save this city from things as bad as or worse than we saw with the attack on Podunk. I believe it is solely through her efforts and those of her partner that we as a city are safe. By risking my life and that of my partner, they have saved thousands, if not tens of thousands of lives."

The judge nearly dropped his gavel. "Am I to understand you're standing up for her? She tortured you and your partner, if the reports are true."

"Probably true," Nick replied, smirking. "I don't condone her methods, but they were likely necessary. I can assure you, I never would have helped the ZBI, were it not for the way I was brought in. I don't think the mission would have even come close to a success if they had used other means."

"There are two distinct sides to this case," the judge told him, leaning forward. "There are the harms inflicted on citizens, and the laws broken. Do you, in any way, deny that she caused you and yours great harm?"

"I do not. I do, however, forgive her. In her place, I can see making the same choices."

As the judge weighed the statement, Nick peeked over his shoulder and found that Skye was watching him with a nervous fear. She was not expecting to be forgiven. This threw a wrench in her plans—which was his goal.

"I would ask that same question of your partner, but I understand she is not here," the judge went on, scribbling notes. "Is that correct?"

Nick's stomach clenched more sharply than he had expected. "That's correct. Judy—my partner—is still in the south, continuing to work for the benefit of Zootopia."

"Then I cannot accept forgiveness on her behalf without a statement. Without even getting into the criminal matters against the city, we still have charges of kidnapping, assault, battery, and attempted rape."

Nick's calm began to waver. That list alone could put Snow away for a decade. "Your honor, the attempted rape involved Agent Harry, not Agent Snow. Those charges should be delayed until Harry and Judy are here to speak. Charging Snow for his actions isn't remotely ethical, especially with both the victim and perpetrator hundreds of miles from here and unable to testify."

The judge looked up at Nick warily. "I'm being lectured on ethics by a fox, about another fox?"

"Yes, your honor," Nick replied, tried to keep his tone neutral.

"You are correct, though." The llama wrote out some more notes. "Kidnapping…"

"Of myself. I forgive her and will not press charges. Hopps was never kidnapped."

"Assault and battery…"

"Hopps beat her more soundly than Snow beat her. If Snow doesn't wish to press charges, should we be pushing that issue?"

The judge leaned to look at Snow. From the corner of his eye, Nick saw Snow shake her head. "You're seriously going to let her off the hook for what she's done to you and yours? Are you insane, Wilde?"

"No more so than most foxes, sir." Nick made a point of straightening to his full height. The perception of foxes always skulking about was often alleviated by looking more respectable. "If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would have pushed to get the laws changed to allow for the firing squad. Now, I know why she did what she did."

Muttering, the judge looked over at the prosecution. "Do you wish to drop any charges on your end, Mister Buckley?"

"No, sir," replied the antelope quickly. "The city maintains its claims against the agent and objects strongly to the ZPD's interference in this."

"Take a seat, officer," the judge told Nick, motioning vaguely toward the empty benches in the back of the courtroom. "I'm ready to issue my ruling on the charges that do not require Agent Harry or Officer Hopps."

Nick hesitated, wondering if there was anything else he could do. Instinctively, he started to walk toward the seats behind the prosecution—where he generally sat as a police officer—but then caught himself and went to sit directly behind Skye.

"This has to be one of the strangest cases brought before this court," the judge continued, once the room was silent. "Let me begin by explaining the precedent. Per various statutes, the ZBI, when acting within their charter, is exempt from prosecution for any actions taken to protect the city. Agent Snow was acting within the charter of the ZBI in all matters, and gains immunity to charges, aside from civil claims—which we have just largely done away with, thanks to Officer Wilde. More may arise once Officer Hopps returns."

Nick relaxed against the back of his bench, smiling broadly. He could feel the relief radiating off of both Skye and Milo.

"The only thing the ZBI must do to use their immunity, is they must submit a signed document from the director of the agency. That letter must spell out the belief that all involved agents are exempt and were acting under orders. Do you have such a letter, Agent Snow?"

The calm fell apart sharply, and Nick watched Skye's tail fall limply to the floor.

"No, your honor," she whispered. "As you know, the director was killed—"

"Was a new director named by the mayor or any other government agency?"

Skye looked around frantically, even glancing over her shoulder at Nick briefly. "No, sir. We could not admit that the agency had fallen, or Rolen—"

The judge waved dismissively, cutting off Skye. "I know the situation. The law does not distinguish reasons, though. No letter, no immunity. You were the acting senior agent, correct?"

"I was," Skye replied, her voice barely audible.

"Then you are responsible for all charges. Let's start at the top. The largest charge you are facing relates to attacking a foreign state without authorization. We agree that you did do that?"

"I did," Skye answered, sinking a little lower in her chair.

"That charge is treason. For a city resident, the penalty is ten years or more in prison. For a ZBI agent, the penalty is twenty, though a senior agent can execute a traitor in the field without risk. You're getting off easy with twenty years in prison, Snow. The city could simply appoint a new director and have you executed."

Nick did not miss the way Skye nervously rubbed at her neck. She believed herself to be a slave again. Imprisonment was not much different than a collar.

The llama looked over his notes, then shook his head. "There is no wiggle room on that, either. Citizens who commit treason have minimum sentencing. You are to go to prison immediately—"

"Your honor," Nick blurted out, drawing an angry glare from both the judge and the prosecution. "How does one become a citizen? I was born here, so I'm not certain."

"How is that relevant, Wilde?" the judge asked, spreading his arms. "An oath to the city of Zootopia, followed by three pages of paperwork. Nothing terribly complicated or magical."

Nick turned his attention to Skye. "Did you make that pledge?"

Realization seemed to dawn on Skye, and she smiled nervously. "Yes, but no paperwork. I was being recruited by the ZBI. I had to disappear. I was never registered as a citizen, and certainly was not born here."

"There you have it, your honor," Nick added. "Not a citizen. She's a foreigner, who chose to help us against her own government. I'm fairly certain we reward those animals with citizenship and medals, not prison terms."

Across the aisle, the antelope spoke up. "Your honor, we will concede that Snow is not a citizen, but the city is not prepared to reward her for her actions. She can seek citizenship now, but she still acted outside the rules of the agency. All other charges stand."

"Very well," the judge replied with a deep sigh. "The remaining charges are all procedural, and relate to specific ZBI policies broken. None warrant a prison term. I hereby strip Agent Snow of her position in the ZBI, as well as any protection thereof, and any possessions from said agency. Snow, you are hereby on probation for the next five years, and I am entering a suspended sentence for ten years in prison. Behave yourself, and you can move on with your life."

Skye's gleeful expression slowly faded. "Sir, what am I supposed to do now? I've been an agent for most of my adult life, either here or in the south."

"Not the court's problem," snapped the judge. "You have asked for one additional ruling. Specifically, you wanted city resources to aid in treating your brother."

"That's correct, sir," Skye said, her shoulders low and eyes on the table. "He's all I have left, especially without my work."

The llama shook his head. "Your request is denied. The city will take possession of the foreign agent, and determine the degree of threat he poses. If and when he can be rehabilitated, he will be released. Because this is a ZBI matter—"

"There is no ZBI anymore!" Skye blurted out, her hackles rising as she stood, her shackles jingling. "I am the only senior agent left. If you strip me of my position, who is treating my brother?"

Nearby, Milo cleared his throat softly. "I am the only remaining agent, and have been given the director position, effective immediately at the conclusion of this trial, until we find someone better suited. I will watch over the city's handling of him, Snow."

Nick looked between Skye and Milo, unsure what to do, or what he could do.

Soon, Skye relented and sat down hard. "I accept the ruling of the court."

"Snow," Nick whispered, but she shook her head without looking his way.

"Snow," the judge began again, pointing with his gavel, "you are to turn over all possessions owned by the agency immediately. The city has already reclaimed the two safe houses you were using, and taken possession of the ZBI headquarters. Do you have anything else under your control that the agency has any claim to, or has paid for?"

Skye did not look up from the table. "Just the clothes I'm wearing and a few other outfits at my apartment. And the name I use."

"This court is not unreasonable. Those, you can keep. You are a free fox, Snow, or whatever your real name is. However, the apartment is no longer being subsidized by the city. You have one week to vacate. Will that be a problem?"

Skye shook her head and stood. "No, sir."

With a single boom of the gavel, it was done, and Nick found himself not entirely sure where anyone stood on the results. The prosecution was grinning and shaking paws, while Milo and Skye both looked calm and unreadable. The only mammal on the defense side with any hint of reaction was Pearl, who was fighting to free himself from his shackles, even as the boars from the courtroom entrance came to unshackled Skye and take Pearl away.

"Snow, are you okay?" Nick asked, leaning forward so he was only a few inches behind her.

"I'm always okay," she replied, without looking up. Her ears sunk a little lower as Pearl was carried from the room. "Thank you for what you did. This would have been far worse without you."

Nick reached out to touch Snow's shoulder, but she managed to avoid him, even without looking. "I'm sorry about Pearl. That's the one thing I thought could have been changed."

Snow got up slowly, and offered Nick a rare warm smile. To his surprise, she held out her paw and shook his when he clasped it. "Thank you again, for all you've done. If I hear anything more on our partners, you can be sure I'll find you in a hurry."

"I'll do the same," Nick assured her. Something in her tone made him uneasy, but he could not put his finger on it.

Sliding her paws into her pockets, Skye left the courtroom quickly.

Nick stayed where he was a little longer, then got up and went to Bogo, who was signing paperwork held by one of the boars.

"Chief, thank you for risking yourself for us," Nick offered, coming up alongside them.

"Nonsense," Bogo replied, still writing. Nick could see then that it was acknowledgement of the judge's penalties, which Bogo was initialing after each line. "I did this for you, Wilde. Not for her. She can rot in a cell for all I care, after all she'd done. You—really, any of my officers—I'd give my life for. Part of a paycheck is easy to give up. Also, a few days off will be nice. They don't generally let me take vacations, and I think I might get to catch up on sleep for the first time in two years."

Nick could not help but smile at the cheeky humor Bogo managed to squeeze into something as serious as being jailed.

The handling of paperwork and goodbyes to Bogo took Nick another half hour, and soon thereafter, Nick was on his way home. As soon as he reached the bus station, he pulled out his phone and turned it back on, hoping he had missed relatively little during his time at the courthouse.

The bus arrived soon enough, and Nick climbed on board, taking a seat near the back, where fewer animals would be nervous about having a uniformed police officer near them. That was something he had never quite gotten used to. Years of avoiding the ZPD had somehow done an about-face, and now he was the one that shady folks avoided. It was an ironic ending for a hustler, and not one he could have ever guessed at.

Halfway home, Nick remembered his phone, pulling it out to check for messages. To his surprise, there were two—an email from Clawhauser, and a voicemail from his mother. Knowing Marian could have handled anything up to and including Rolen showing up at their door through sheer force of will, he tapped open the email first.

 _Nick, I just got the ZBI tracker setup here at the precinct. You won't believe this thing. Put one of these on the cruisers and we could track you to within a few inches! Bogo let me know about the stuff with Hopps. Got a trace on her sat phone when it turned on sometime last night. No call, though. She showed up for about ten minutes somewhere about eighty kilometers south of the Ursian border. We don't even have maps for that area. I don't know why she's there, since Bogo was all secretive, but she's sort of checked in. I'll let you know if anything else shows up. Also, someone else is tracking her phone, but we don't know who, yet. Probably ZBI. –Clawhauser_

Letting out a frustrated grumble, Nick reread the message a few times. Benji probably did not know that Judy was with someone else, and that even then, anyone could have turned on the phone. There was no assurance it was Judy or Harry. Still, it was more than he had for over a week, and he was willing to accept it as a good sign she had landed intact. He would have felt better had she been north of the border or spoken to someone, but there was only so much he could ask for.

Nick brought up his phone and waited for the voicemail from his mother to play.

"Nicky, we just had a surprise visit from Cub Protective Services," she said, sounding out of breath. Unfortunately, that did not take much anymore, and he could easily imagine the kits wearing her down quickly. "They interviewed me about your home life, and what kind of upbringing the kits will get. I think everything went pretty well, and they said they'd start the paperwork for assigning the kits on a more permanent basis in the next two or three weeks. They had some concerns about your neighbors, but I believe that was more of an observa—Mary, get off the counter! I'll see you when you get back, Nicky. I have a bunny to scold."

Nick smiled and leaned back against the bus seat.

 _Everything's returning to the new normal_ , he thought, watching the city pass by. _Mom's okay. Foster placement is moving along smoothly. Skye's not going to rot in prison. Now I just need Judy and Zippy to come home, and I can stop worrying. A few more days if I'm lucky, and the next part of my life can begin, with the start of a family._


	12. Chapter 8-5

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.5 – The Long Road Home

 **September 10** **th** **, Friday night – Ursian District Eighty-Four**

"Down!"

Judy flattened out on the ground, barely even noticing the grit of dirt in her mouth after so many false alarms the last few days. The reaction to Harry's warnings had become reflexive, triggering an instinctual leap to cover, and a quick check that her ears and tail were no higher than the grass around her.

"Did they see us?" she asked, squinting to make out all of the predators patrolling the "small" palace on the outskirts of the next city. The five floor structure looked to Judy like some kind of fortress, prettied up to appear as though it was intended to be a luxury home instead. Just as she thought she had seen all of the guards, very faint movement on one of the parapets let her know a sniper was stationed there.

"If they had, they'd have begun shooting," Harry whispered, sliding along the ground toward a drainage ditch nearby. Once he reached it, he stood and motioned for Judy to follow. "All clear and we're out of line of sight."

Judy waited an extra second, until she was certain the patrols were facing away from her. Once she was confident she would not be seen, she dove into the ditch alongside Harry. There, they both settled into the cover to wait until the changing of the guard, when they intended to sneak into the palace.

"Did you end up calling the other night?" Harry asked, as he pulled out a stack of dried food they had been nursing since the last city, supplemented with wild fruits and vegetables found along the way.

Judy froze with her fingers just shy of the vegetables, her appetite gone. "No. I turned on the phone and turned it back off. What could I tell him? 'Hey, Slick, we're about to walk into a fortress filled with predators who intend to kill us. Love you!' He'd have gotten on the first plane down here. Better he doesn't know. I don't want him worrying more than he already is."

For several minutes, they sat in silence, but Harry was not one to let anything drop. Judy had learned that all too well of late. "Call him. Right now, he doesn't even know if we're alive. Give him that much. You're worried sick about him, and I can only imagine how he's doing."

Judy pulled out the phone and stared at it. "You know we only have a few calls worth of battery life, with no way to charge it. This will use up almost all of our reserve power."

"Thirty seconds. Call. Tell him you're alive and okay, but you don't know when you'll be back. Hang up, no matter what he says. Repeat after me, 'Nick, I'm alive and I'm okay. Just wanted you to know. Love you. Talk soon. Goodbye.' Doesn't need anything more than that."

"You know I'm going to want to say a lot more."

Harry smiled and put a pile of dried out peas into her paw. "Eat something and stop beating yourself up. He'll be happy to hear from you. He doesn't need you to go through everything that got left unanswered right now."

Judy reluctantly ate a few bites, while still staring at the phone. Once her mouth was clear again, she asked, "You sure this is worth risking our remaining battery for?"

"Absolutely," he assured her, eyeing a carrot that had begun to change color in odd ways after too long in their damp baggage. After a few seconds, he tossed the carrot into the mud. "Once we're inside that palace, I can find a way to hotwire the phone and get it either charged, or running on wall power for a little while. Use the battery now."

She held her thumb over the power button, her resolve wavering. As much as she wanted to hear Nick's voice, she dreaded what either of them might say. Over and over, she worked through the conversation and ways she could reply to things he might ask her.

Harry leaned over her, staring at the phone in her paws. Lightning-fast, he punched the power button, then sat back with a smirk and said, "Oops."

Glaring at him, Judy did not have the heart to turn the phone back off. She grumbled softly, and watched as the phone's screen flashed several times, informing her that it was connecting to satellites.

"More than thirty seconds," she mumbled.

"Be patient."

Judy tapped her thumbs on the side of the phone. While she waited, she looked back to the palace, where the cheetah patrol passed on the wall. They did not stop walking, giving her a bit more confidence they were hidden. When she looked back at the phone, it was connected to five of seven satellites, but still was displaying "Please wait" on the screen.

"Maybe I shouldn't…" she said softly, lowering the phone.

Harry swallowed water from his canteen and quickly told her, "Don't make me call for you. That'll just be embarrassing and make Nick angry. You argue enough, I'll send him nudes of myself, and no one wants to see that."

Judy whined and clutched the phone a bit more tightly. At long last, it connected to the last two satellites, and the text changed to "Company network unavailable."

"What's that mean?" she asked, holding up the phone to Harry.

"Nothing good," he admitted. "It means something is happening to the ZBI. We relay all our calls through fake city government accounts. That message means someone found and suspended the account. It does happen occasionally, but Milo's really good at working around it. Let's try again later. It usually rolls to the next account after an hour or so."

Despite her initial reluctance to call, the failed attempt made Judy feel that much worse, and she felt her mood sink as she powered the phone back off. She knew how she would have felt after weeks without hearing from Nick—actually, she knew that all too well—wondering if he was alive. This had to be painful for him, and she vowed to let him know as soon as they had a way to recharge the phone, so that letting him know did not cost them their chance of escape later.

"You ready for this?" Harry asked, after several more passes of the guards. He waved a pile of berries near her nose, after she tried unsuccessfully to ignore his ongoing offers of food.

"As ready as the last three times we got close." Judy begrudgingly took the berries and ate them slowly, trying to forget how hungry she was. "He's slipped away every time. How long do you think we can keep this up?"

Harry shrugged. "Until we catch him, or he catches us. That's how these missions work. Once you start, there's no real end. We've had one agent down here for twenty-five years, but that's special. I doubt ours could last more than a week, at most. When we get into that palace, we get lucky or we get caught. Not much else to it."

Judy nodded, knowing there was not much to say, as she slid the phone into her backpack. If their earlier assessment of the patrols was correct, they did not have much time left, and she needed all the rest she could get.

"You okay to watch until it's time to move?" she asked, and to her relief, he agreed.

She shoved the last of her food into her mouth—knowing they had nothing left, unless they found it in the palace—and pulled her right hind paw up to check it. Dried blood mixed with mud across much of the sole, as it had the last time she checked. The faintest touch from one finger let her know there was no hope in trying to ease the strain until some healing had happened. She briefly thought about checking the other paw, too, but there was little point.

Curling up on her side, Judy brought her knees up to her chin and draped her ears over her face. A passing predator would be unlikely to see her on the ground between her coloration and all of the mud. Smell, she could do nothing about. Within seconds, she was soundly asleep as her body grasped at the momentary rest.

The dreams were the same as always. Nick angry at her for being stupid, and wrecking what they had. Harry treating her like a stupid child. Skye ignoring her completely. Through it all, Rolen's laughter haunted every second of sleep. The dream had become so routine that it no longer got to her the way it once had. The only part of the dream which still stung was how she was endlessly running after Nick, but never reaching him.

"Judy."

In her dream, the whisper was Nick, curling up beside her to sleep. Her rational mind knew better, and she snapped awake, instantly aware that she lay in the ditch near Harry, who was sitting up, watching the patrols. Rain had begun again, drenching her fur.

"They're switching right now," he whispered, as Judy uncurled. "Are you able to move quickly?"

"Of course," Judy mumbled back, barely able to feel her body as her mind tried to rush to full wakefulness. "How long was I out?"

"Fifteen minutes."

Judy sighed and pulled her backpack onto her shoulder. Fifteen minutes felt like a good long rest after the last week. When—or if—she ever got home, she had every intention of sleeping for a minimum of two straight days. Preferably with Nick wrapped around her like a blanket. Missing him had gradually shifted from a longing to a near-obsession. Thankfully, the nonstop running after Rolen kept her from dwelling on how much she needed to be with Nick again.

"Follow the drainage ditch to the base of the palace," Harry told her, rising up onto his hind paws. "None of the palaces protect their sewer runoffs. We can run right up into the sewage system, and into the bottom rooms. After we're inside, we get creative."

Judy rolled onto all four paws and waited, unable to get up enough energy to really respond. A few seconds later, Harry called for them to go, and Judy ran numbly toward the palace, the pain in her paws and pounding of her arms and legs barely getting through. What did register in her delirium was the grating blocking her path as she reached the wall. The metal was still shiny, unlike almost everything else in the region. Panting, she stared at the grating as she sank to her waist in the water coming out of the sewer pipe.

"Sweet cheese and crackers," she muttered, looking around for another way in. The next closest was a window well above jumping distance. They only had another minute or two before the patrols would come around and find them. "Harry, we need another option."

Coming to a stop beside her, Harry put one paw on the grating and spit on the ground. "Dammit! There's no time to find another way in. This shouldn't be here."

Judy traced the metal grating with her eyes, recognizing it as a rushed bit of work. The edges were not fit well to the hole it covered, though they had been bolted down solidly. "He's got a six hour lead on us. You might be surprised he's had time to do this, but I'm not. I actually expected worse."

"Worse than a barrier blocking our only way in?" he demanded, pacing beside her. "C'mon, Harry, think. There has to be another way…"

Her gaze coming back around to the bottom of the sewer opening, Judy stared at the spot where the round sewer and the grating vanished under the filthy water. The angle of the grating looked slightly off. Reaching down, she confirmed that the mesh had not been bolted down under the water, and left a small gap between it and the sewer pipe.

"Pull on the cover," she told Harry, and he stopped pacing to stare at her. "We don't have long."

Judy closed her eyes and held her breath before dropping into the water. By feel alone, she sank under the edge of the grating and used her forepaws to trace the pipe edge. She pushed against the grating and felt it give slightly. Moving under it, she wedged her head into the opening, only to find herself stuck almost instantly. With her breath fading fast, she started to worry, kicking at the mud under her to attempt to get free and into the sewer pipe, but she could not quite make it. Her lungs burned and her mind approached true panic, wondering if she was about to drown in shallow sewer water. Suddenly, the grating shifted, and she was able to force herself in just far enough that her head came up out of the water. Gasping, she wiped as much sludge off her eyes as she could, before opening them.

Outside the sewer, Harry was straining to the point that tears ran down his face, holding the grating bent as far as he could manage, so she could get through.

"Hang on just a second longer," she assured him, pulling herself up and into the sewer pipe. Once she was on the metal flooring, Harry let go and the grating snapped back into place. "Are the patrols coming yet?"

Harry looked both ways. "No, there's still time."

Laying back on the end of the pipe, Judy flattened her hind paws against the grating. She then reached down and grabbed the edge of the pipe to brace herself. "Get ready to move."

Judy took three slow breaths, then kicked as hard as she could. The grating shuddered under the first impact. A second kick bent it outward slightly, but also numbed her hind paws. The third kick bent it more obviously, leaving a fair gap at the bottom, though her legs went numb all the way to her knees, and she could see blood on the grating.

Harry ducked under the water, and came up a moment later alongside her hips as she slid back from the edge. Climbing into the sewer beside her, he wiped at the sludge in his fur, chuckling and shaking his head.

"Well done, Judy," he whispered, then held his breath as a group of leopards and cheetahs walked past, apparently unaware the two bunnies were so close. Once they were gone, he continued. "That was quick thinking. You could have gotten yourself killed, but you did good."

"No time for flattery," she told him as she got up. Every inch of her body hurt, and the stench of sewage was rapidly making her dizzy. "Let's get into the servants' quarters quickly. Rolen knows we're coming and the sooner we reach him, the more likely we can surprise him."

The two of them hurried through the sewer, until Harry pointed to a barely-lit opening above them. They climbed the wall of the sewer and forced aside the cover of the drain overhead. With Harry leading, they made their way into the room above, which Judy quickly recognized as some form of shower room, though the large room contained little more than a hose, the drain, one door, and tiled walls.

"Servant cleaning room," Harry explained, picking up the hose. "This is our first shower that didn't come from storm clouds, if you want it."

"More than I'll admit," she told him, turning to fully face him, with her arms up and spread wide. "Get this stink off me."

Harry turned on the hose, and the water slammed into her hard, its chill making her teeth hurt. He worked the stream over her from top to toe, until she began to actually feel somewhat clean again. She was shivering when he shut off the water, but it was still somehow refreshing after so long covered in a layer of mud and other filth.

The process was repeated for Harry, giving Judy the chance to dry a little as he was sprayed down. Soon, they were able to shake off and forage through the nearby rooms, until Judy located a pile of old towels in a cabinet. They hurriedly dried themselves and set to exploring the basement of the palace for clues as to how they would reach Rolen…and get him out, which would require a car.

Several hallways were immediately off-limits to them, as they picked up the scents and sounds of nearby predators—likely a passing patrol. Judy ended up leading them down one of the two remaining ones, which smelled less of predators, and more of prey who had not been through in several hours. There, most of the doors were locked, making Judy wish she had Nick along to deal with them. Lock picking was something she had only begun to learn from him, and now would have been remarkably valuable.

They continued until the end of the hallway, with Harry on the left side of the hall and Judy on the right, checking each door. The last two doors on Judy's side were surprisingly unlocked, revealing a large janitor's closet in one, and what appeared to be a larder filled with breads, vegetables, and dried fruits. Near the back wall of the larder were barrels she was willing to bet contained water.

"Har…um…Zippy?" she called over her shoulder, without taking her eyes off the shelves of food. Gingerly, she tiptoed into the room, sniffing at each shelf, as though they might vanish if she looked away. "Zippy, you're going to want to come in here."

By the time Harry came into the larder, Judy had her mouth stuffed with carrots, and a pile of lettuce leaves under one arm. She chewed quickly, trying to choke down as much food as she could before they had to run, and Harry appeared ready to do the same as he alternated between shoving mixed vegetables into his mouth and pockets.

Judy passed Harry, and went to the barrels, as she choked down much of her mouthful of carrots. She popped the lid off the barrel and swept up a pawful of the water to wash down the dry food. Harry joined her a second later, first filling his mouth, then the canteen they had recovered from an abandoned vehicle several days before.

Once she could breathe again, Judy more casually nibbled at another carrot, taking a seat alongside the water barrel.

"Do you think we'll be able to count on anyone here for help?" Judy asked, as Harry sat down beside her. After days running and very little to eat, the momentary break was nice. "Slaves, insiders, and so on?"

"The farther we go south, the less likely," he answered, still shoving vegetables into his pack. Harry seemed convinced they would be going cross-country again soon, judging by the quantities. "We're getting into areas where even the slaves haven't heard stories of the north. They only know that they'll be spared punishment for turning us in."

Judy started to ask another question, but her ears shot up as she heard movement near the door. She put a finger to her muzzle, then rolled onto her knees, inching toward the ajar door. There, she spotted a young squirrel, who had his ear to the doorframe, listening in.

"Hello?" Judy asked, trying to soften her tone and appearance. "You caught us. We were starving. Can we talk?"

The squirrel flinched and looked around nervously, then finally looked directly at Judy. "We're all starving. Doesn't mean you can touch the master's stores. What're you doing in here?"

Judy smiled and sat back down, motioning slowly with her forepaws to calm the jittery squirrel. "We made a mistake. My friend and I—"

Stepping into the room, the squirrel glanced between the various shelves of food, then to Harry, and finally back to Judy. "Don't know you two. You came with the new master?"

Harry would want to subdue the squirrel, Judy realized, so she pointedly kept herself between him and Harry, motioning for the newcomer to sit. "We did. What did you hear?"

Nose and tail twitching spastically, the squirrel slowly sat down on the floor in front of Judy. "Heard you two eating like little monsters. Eat too fast, get sick. Everyone knows, everyone knows. Why the new master let you roam so late? Servants supposed to be in bed. All in bed."

Reaching to the shelf nearest her, Judy picked up a few nuts from a wicker basket and offered them to the squirrel, but he watched her as though she were up to something. "Our master usually has us keep watch during the night to make sure no one tries to hurt him while he sleeps. We took a break to get some food. It was a really long journey."

The squirrel's eyes narrowed, and he stared at the nuts a little longer. "Master bear is not asleep. You lie. Many lies. Very dangerous to lie."

Judy put the nuts down right in front of the squirrel, and watched as his paws trembled in resisting the urge to grab at them. Even with his thick fur, she could tell he was dangerously thin. Likely, she looked little better after the last two weeks. "We aren't going to turn you in. Can you do the same for us? We'll get back to our post right away."

"More lies," the squirrel muttered, sweeping the nuts up with one paw, and holding them to his chest. "Not servants. Know servants of all kinds. Servants all the same. You are not the same. You are different. Maybe was servant? Him, not a servant."

"Of course we both are," Judy assured the squirrel. She reached up and touched her collar for emphasis. Turning, she motioned toward Harry. "We have been serving our master…"

The thought was lost as Judy realized Harry was trying to cover his neck. She had entirely forgotten that he had lost his collar on the plane. Now, it was all too obvious they were lying.

"No matter, no matter," mumbled the squirrel, shoving one of the nuts into his mouth, where he shifted it to his cheek for later. "Nip isn't supposed to be up, either. Breaking rules, so many rules broken. Told rules one day, different rules next. Very confusing."

"We won't tell on you, Nip," she insisted. "We'll help you, if you help us."

"Willing to help. Have to help. One of the rules," Nip answered, and then paused to put the rest of the nuts in his cheeks. "How can Nip help?"

"We're lost and don't know where our master is," she lied, hoping he would not see through it. "Don't want him to find out we got lost. Just need to know where he is."

"Bear? The big bear?" asked the squirrel, peeking past Judy at Harry. "Big bear with fangs?"

"That's our master," Harry replied.

"Know exactly where bear is," Nip assured them, nodding frantically. "Get to safe place first. This is not safe place. We talk there. Pack up things. All the things. Leave no proof you were here. They find things, they begin punishing until we talk. Once punishing starts, it doesn't stop."

Judy felt a little sick to her stomach, as she looked over the deep scars she could see all over Nip's arms. He was definitely all too familiar with punishment. "Okay. Let's go. You can lead us to the safe place?"

"Yes, can lead," he told her, getting up onto his hind paws. He beckoned them both to follow. "Not far. Two halls. Move quick, so we are not found outside safe place."

Judy checked on Harry, and he gave her a series of rapid paw gestures. He did not trust the squirrel, but did not know what else to do. He agreed to follow, for now. Before she looked away, he added a warning to watch their guide very carefully.

They left the storeroom a few steps behind the squirrel. He took them back up the hall the way they had come, past the showers where they had entered, and up another which Judy knew had no unlocked doors. Before she could ask, Nip pulled a thin string out from under his fur, which drew a key out of his shirt.

"Close, close now. Good place to rest. Safe place. Said is safe place."

Judy fumbled her step and almost tripped. "It is a safe place, or someone said it's a safe place?"

Nip reached the third door on their left and stopped, with his paw on the handle. "Is safe place. Been in many times. Always safe for me."

Judy and Harry exchanged glances, and as she watched, he drew his pistol, though he kept it behind his leg.

When she turned back, Nip had the door into a small room opened, and he had moved inside. "Come, come. Next room is where servants stay. Need to not be in hall. Everyone punished if we in hall after dark."

"Seems legit," Harry whispered, coming up alongside Judy. "Very few masters wouldn't beat every last slave for a few being out at night."

"Okay, let's get out of sight," she told him, walking into the room after Nip.

Harry followed Judy inside, and as they crossed the threshold, Nip continued toward the far door with her right behind.

"We open door, and we are safe," Nip explained, motioning to the door he stood directly in front of. "Can't open door, we in trouble."

Harry pushed the hall door closed with a loud bang, and Judy swore she heard a second click after the door handle. What she did not hear was even the slightest creak. The hinges were well-oiled and despite the door being built for full-height predators, the upper handle and lock were detached, leaving the lower handle as the only intact one that could be used. Everything about this felt wrong, and judging by Harry's stance near the far door, he felt it, too.

"How many others are there in the next room?" Judy asked, once the door was closed.

Nip stopped with his paw on the inner door. "One or lots. Don't know. Nip check."

Three times, Nip knocked on the door, then waited. A single knock came back in reply, and Nip lowered his head. "Just one. We in trouble."

Judy reached to her sash and drew the pistol they had taken from a soldier two days prior. She turned so she could see both doors, and everyone in the room at the same time. "What's going on, Nip?"

The squirrel walked back to the middle of the room and sat down. "Don't know. Just know, if knock back, he say we in trouble. New master, new rule."

Across the room, Harry reached for the door handle, at the same time Judy reached for hers. Almost simultaneously, they grabbed the metal handles, and the world seemed to come to an excruciating halt as electricity flooded Judy's body. She could not let go of the handle, her body convulsing until her muscles felt as though they would be torn apart.

It took what felt like hours for her body to recover, and when it did, Judy found herself lying on the floor of the room, with Nip still seated nearby. She could not make her body move, but from the edge of her vision, she could see Harry also on the floor. From having experienced it several times in training, Judy recognized the effects of a taser, or something vaguely similar. She was as helpless as a newborn, and would be for a little while.

A rattling click echoed through the room as both doors unlocked. The moment they did, Nip scrambled for the hallway door, nearly running over top of Harry in his hurry to get out of the room. As his pawsteps vanished into the distance, Judy heard heavy pawfalls approaching from the inner door. Unfortunately, how she had fallen allowed her to see Harry and his door, but not the one closest to her.

The door near Judy creaked as someone grabbed the handle from the far side. Whoever was coming had not quite opened the door, when she saw long arms with dark fur—arms much longer than Nip's—reach in through the door left open by Nip, dragging Harry out of the light, a second before the door beside her swung open.

"Well, well," chuckled a deep voice, as Rolen Ursius came around into her field of vision. He slowly took a knee over her. "I hadn't expected that imbecile squirrel to manage this task, though I had wanted to capture both of you. One of two isn't bad. Tell me, bunny, where's the other one? Oh, perhaps I need to wait a bit until you have your voice back. I always did rush things."

Rolen reached down and yanked Judy's pack off her back. Rifling through it, he drew the satellite phone she had been carefully protecting all week. That, he eyed with amusement and set aside. Next, he dug out her pistol, which he dismantled and tossed across the room. One final shake of the pack upside-down—dumping vegetables onto the floor—seemed to assure him he had found everything of value.

"Let's see if we can come to a new bargain," he said, sitting down on the cold stone floor. "I promise to torture you—but not kill you—until you give me the names, locations, and other information of all ZBI agents in the region. Seems only fair. Let's begin with Harry. I have a great many questions. I'd recommend memorizing them until you are able to reply. We are going to have such fun, Hopps. Let's see how long you can cling to your high-minded ideals, before you break. With luck, I can strip you of all that you pride yourself on, and find out who you are beneath it."

 _He doesn't even know Harry is here_ , she told herself, unable to do more than stare up at the bear, who sat alongside her. _No matter what he does, he won't know. Whoever saved Harry might be able to get me out too. I just need to stay strong until they can help._

Leaning over her face so his fangs hung only slightly over her eyes, Rolen placed one massive claw on her throat. "You're only prey, so this might have been something you did not quite understand, but I now own you. Whether you believe it in your heart or not, your life hangs on my whims, and you are as surely property as any of my slaves. Be mindful of that with every word spoken or action taken until the day I take pity on you and break your neck. Until that day, why don't we see if we can fix that collar of yours, so it operates as intended?"


	13. Chapter 8-6

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.6 – The Long Road Home

 **September 21** **st** **, Tuesday – ZPD Precinct One**

Nick meandered down the steps of the precinct from Bogo's office, taking his time. He normally was among the first of his shift to hurry from the building, but this day was one he would rather be anywhere other than home, where he would have far too many morbid thoughts which wold keep him in a bad mood.

It was Judy's birthday.

With no further reports of her or Harry reappearing in the south since the ZPD had discovered the mayor had cut off the phone—and subsequently reinstated the service, after some harsh things said by both Bogo and Nick—he had managed to push himself through each day by sheer stubbornness, trying to keep her out of his mind. He had five kits demanding most of his attention, though at least his mother had become less time-consuming as her health improved. The last week, Finnick had begun coming by for most of every afternoon both to give her a break from the kits and to ensure she was able to rest.

"You're looking a little lost," Benji called out from the front desk, as Nick neared the bottom steps. "Usually you're a lot more…you know…bouncy. Calmly chipper, even."

Nick smiled and slid his paws into his pockets as he wandered over. "Just a rough day to be me. I'll be fine tomorrow. Any exciting plans for tonight, Benji?"

Clawhauser stared at Nick a few seconds, then turned to look at the calendar hanging behind him. He quickly put his paws over his mouth and squeaked. "I'm sorry, Nick! I had no idea it was her… Are you okay?"

"Okay enough," he replied, shrugging. "Missing her terribly, but I know she's out there doing her job. Hard to be mad about that. You know, usual weeknight. Go home, imagine I heard her come in the door a few dozen times, then go to bed. Pretty routine."

Nodding, Clawhauser seemed to relax a little. "I wouldn't be handling this nearly as well. Nimr and I are going to a movie tonight. The new Wonder Wombat one. I know you said you aren't big into superhero movies, but if you wanted to join us…"

"Appreciate it. Really, I do. Got my paws full with some crazy kits, though. I'll be able to get out more once things settle down and Cub Protective Services finishes making up their minds about whether I'm a very temporary or less temporary foster home for the kits."

"If you need some help," Clawhauser paused, wringing his paws nervously, "I know you've got to be a little overwhelmed without her there. We're happy to kitsit, if you need a break. With Nimr in town all week, this would be an easy time for us to swing it. A few of the officers and their mates or spouses have said they'd like to help, but aren't sure how to say it. Anything at all we can do, just say so."

"Thanks, Benji, but I've got it managed," Nick assured his friend. "Today's just a little rougher than most. I'll get through."

A buzz in Nick's pocket made him look down. Pulling out his cell phone, he found he had a text message from his mother. Tapping it, he was more than a little surprised.

 _Nicky, got a sitter for the kits. Jack has offered to watch them tonight, and I'll be out with Finnick. Thought maybe you needed some time out with friends from the ZPD, given the date. Yes, I do pay attention to those things. Love you, and I'll be back in the morning. Send. Send message. Why doesn't voice dictation ever work right? Send. Stupid technology. Would you just—_

Nick stared at the message a few extra seconds, then remembered Clawhauser was watching him.

"Everything all right?" Benji asked, looking pointedly at the phone.

Nick smiled and slid his phone back into his pocket. "Of course. Grocery shopping list from mom. You two have fun at the movie."

Clawhauser watched Nick warily, then asked, "You will tell me if I can help, right?"

"Of course. Would I lie to you?"

Benjamin's brows lowered sharply. "Yes. Yes, you would. I've got tomorrow off, since I'm working Saturday. I'll come by after work and we're going out. My treat. Nimr can watch the kits if your mom needs a rest."

"We'll see," Nick offered noncommittally. "Call first."

"You don't need to suffer quietly in a corner, Nick. You have friends who want to help."

"It's not their burden," he replied quickly. "I wanted to be a foster parent. I'm not foisting that on anyone else. Spent most of my life shirking responsibility. Things are a little different now."

"Everyone needs a break sometimes, and it can't be easy as an adopted parent for another species' kits, especially in large numbers."

Nick chuckled and shrugged. "I've got to get used to it if Fluff and I do consider adopting at some point. Trial by fire with her gone."

Benjamin glanced at the calendar again. "How long has she…?"

"Twenty-four days," he answered without having to do the math. Had he wanted to, he probably could have calculated the hours, too. "Should be back any minute now."

"You were only down there a few days and you told me about how many times you were almost found out…"

"Any minute now," Nick reiterated, maintaining his smile. "G'night, Benji."

Not waiting for Clawhauser to reply, Nick set off toward the front of the precinct, before stopping and realizing he was going the wrong way. Bogo had reassigned Judy's cruiser to Nick—temporarily, of course—the day before, and he was still not quite used to the idea of being able to drive himself. For years, he had taken the buses or trains, and recently, let Judy escort him around. Now, he had a giant overpowered cruiser at his disposal, and felt entirely apathetic about it. To him, it was still hers, only on loan until she came home. Many aspects of his life felt that way—on loan, until further notice.

The drive home was uneventful, largely because the cruiser inspired most other drivers to avoid him and behave on the roads. They did not need to know he was off-duty, and it allowed him some peace of mind on the way back to his apartment. As happened the night before, when he pulled into the small lot near his apartment building, a dozen teenagers scattered, putting out pungent cigarettes as they fled. He could have cared less about what they were smoking—especially when off-duty—and made his way up to the apartment.

When Nick opened the door, he was not entirely prepared for the deafening silence that met him. Five kits in an apartment had a certain nonstop drone to it, which he had not realized was so normal for him, until they were gone. It should have been a welcome relief, but he found himself on-edge as he closed the door behind him. The dark room felt abandoned, as though the residents had left forever, despite really having only left a few hours earlier. With them about to start remedial schooling in another week, he wondered if this was how the apartment would feel most days for his mother.

Numbly, Nick began picking up stuffed animals and other toys that lay scattered around the room. The kits had only recently begun actually "playing," as the idea was foreign for them after being slaves for years. Games were the easiest thing to get across to them, but toys were starting to catch on. He felt almost guilty cleaning up their mess, wishing they were underpaw making a bigger mess, rather than staying with Jack.

For a second, Nick considered calling Jack to see if things were okay over there, but he knew he was being overprotective. It was silly and unnecessary. Shaking his head, he kept cleaning until the apartment looked as good as it had when he had first come home from his mission. That left him a little lost as to what to do next. Unsure how to actually be alone anymore, he went to the table in the kitchen, where he pulled Judy's locket from his shirt pocket and set it and his cell phone in front of him.

"Not opening the locket," he told himself aloud, sitting back. "That'll lead to some serious depression. Maybe watch TV… No, nothing I want to see that won't remind me I'm here alone."

Nick searched the room for something to hold his attention, but found nothing. Looking back at the locket and phone, he focused on the phone, realizing he did have someone he needed to talk to. Two someones, to be more exact. It was not a call he wanted to make.

Steeling himself for what was to come, he picked up the phone and did a video call to a number he had only used once—the day after he had gotten back to Zootopia. The call had not gone well and he had avoided making another, but he knew he needed to this particular day.

A second later, the screen lit up with Stu Hopps' face. The bunny looked panicked and expectant, but that faded instantly as he saw Nick. The emotions were all too easy to read, beginning with disappointment, and rapidly moving toward anger.

"Hey," Nick offered, trying to break the tension. "I wanted to call and see if you needed to talk—"

"Is my daughter back?" Stu practically demanded, his disappointment and annoyance obvious in the way his muzzle and ears settled. "Put her on the line."

Nick swallowed hard. "No, she's not back yet. I just know today's a rough day for me, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help, since I'm betting you're in a dark place, too."

"Doesn't take a detective to figure that out, fox. You left her behind in the worst place in the world. Yes, I'm in a dark place. Did you know her youngest siblings still insisted on making a birthday cake? Got any clever ideas how I'm going to explain to them why she isn't at least calling?"

"Mister Hopps," Nick began, resorting to formality, when in doubt. "She's coming back. I know she is. It'll just be a little longer. We need to stick together to get through this."

"We trusted you, Nick," Stu countered angrily. "That wasn't easy. I put faith in you not to hurt Judy. I was terrified of what you might do to her, even by accident. At my worst, I never thought you'd abandon her in another country, wearing a collar."

Nick put one hand to his forehead to prop himself up against the crushing weight of guilt. Nothing Stu could say would be anything he had not already told himself, but it still hurt to hear. "What can I do to make it up to you, Stu? I miss her, too. If there was any way—"

"Make it up to me? Are you daft, fox? You _lost_ my daughter. Anything that happens to her is on you, as far as I'm concerned. You may as well have done it with your own two paws. I just want to see her face, and know she's okay. I want to tell her I love her. Until then, I don't want to speak to you again. I…I know it's not your fault, but you were the one with her. You were the one I tried to trust."

The screen went back to Nick's contact list as the line was hung up. He stared at the display until it went dark, dashing his hope that Stu might call back. Just as he began to lower the phone to the table, it buzzed in his paw, startling him. He quickly tapped the button to answer, and found himself looking at Bonnie, rather than Stu. A nervous glance over her shoulder and her hushed tone left little doubt she was making the call without anyone else's knowledge.

"I'm sorry about that, Nick," she whispered, and Nick watched as the backdrop changed, when Bonnie moved into a corner in the burrow. "I heard Stu. Are you okay, honey?"

Nick smiled sadly and nodded. "I'll be fine. He's worried. I understand. It doesn't get to me."

Bonnie's frown somehow managed to deepen. "I've got hundreds of children and nearly a hundred grandchildren. If you think you can lie that easily, you've got another thing coming. Doesn't get to you, my tail. Your whiskers get droopy when you're moping."

Nick reached up and touched his whiskers in surprise. They were hanging limply. How he had never noticed such an obvious tell was bothersome, even more so that Finnick had missed it, too. "You're right, Missus Hopps—"

"Bonnie or mom. We've had this talk before, Nick."

"—it's hitting me a little hard today. I miss her terribly."

"We all do." Bonnie smiled warmly back at him. "None of this is your fault, no matter what Stu says. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Maybe if I could convince the ZPD to send me back down there…"

"And do what? Oh, heavens, that's the worst idea ever. You have no idea where you'd be going, and you think you'd find Judy with no direction within a country? Even I know better than that. You'd get yourself killed, and still not help the situation. All we can do now is wait."

Nick took a deep breath before asking, "Do you think she'll be okay? Did I fail her?"

"I do think she'll be fine. And no, you didn't fail her, Nick," Bonnie answered immediately. "I have to believe she'll be okay. Stay strong. You know if anyone can tough their way through this, it's her. If you need anything, please call me, and don't take anything Stu says to heart. He'll come around once she's home. He doesn't mean it, and he's ended up mad at himself for how he treated you both times."

Nick said his goodbyes and hung up, wishing he did not feel quite as hopeless and empty as he did. He set aside the phone and stared at the wall for a minute, before mumbling, "I wish I had your confidence today, Missus Hopps."

Sighing, Nick forced himself to slide the locket away, before he wound up clinging to it. This was going to be harder than he had thought. He had anticipated rough days—and there had been plenty already, giving him plenty of practice at hiding his emotions—but her birthday was that much more difficult. All the goofy romantic ideas he had spent the last year coming up with were finally an option, and he had intended to overdo the first birthday they were together. He was going to spare no expense, treating her to a night on the town. Hidden at the top of one of the kitchen cabinets were a bunch of candles he had intended to light around the apartment to create a romantic atmosphere. Now, the closest he was going to get to romance was staring wistfully at the locket, knowing what could have been, and wondering if she really was coming home.

"No, I'm not going to sit here and be miserable," he ordered himself, slapping the table. "If I'm going to have to brood here alone, I'll do it right. Years living with Finnick, I can mope professionally."

Getting up, Nick went to his cabinet and fetched the candles, though he only took two. Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed a nice bottle of scotch he had been saving for Judy's return—stashed in a locked cabinet to keep it away from the kits. Turning off the kitchen light, he went to the front room and set one candle on each end of the room, though he did not light them right away. Instead, he went around and turned off the rest of the apartment lights, aside from the one in the front room. Taking his time, he changed out of his uniform and into a pair of boxers and a shirt, then returned to the front room. He quickly got both candles lit, and turned off the last light. That left him with flickering mood lighting, which was just barely enough for him to still see everything in the room clearly.

Turning to his movie shelf—also now locked behind a simple door on the cabinet—he skimmed the DVDs and other media there, ignoring the dozens of movies he had bought from Duke Weaselton over the years. Near the top, in one corner, he found the case he was looking for by its unlabeled end. He pulled that out, smiling as he saw the ridiculous note he had put on it, which read "Nick's Really Dirty Bunny Porn: Please Watch for Ideas."

Judging by the dust at the top of the case, Judy had done exactly what he had anticipated: Nothing. The disc had remained ignored, as he had hoped, at least for the time being. He was not even sure why he wanted her to stay far away from it, but it was his personal retreat, and now was something he dearly needed, even if the title was an outright lie.

"About what you expected of me, Fluff?" He put the disc into his DVD player, and sat down on the couch with his scotch as the TV began to flicker when the video started. "Fox in his boxers, watching porn, while drinking, the moment you're out of town? Yeah, me too. You'd be really disappointed, if you knew what I was really watching."

The video began, and Nick had to quickly open the scotch and take a drink as the first short clip showed him taking Judy out of the hospital when she was still in a wheelchair after hurting her leg. At the time, he had asked Finnick to record it in case he needed proof he was not a jerk later, but after watching it the first time, he had decided to keep it for an entirely different reason. Seconds into the video, as Judy reached the bright sunlight for the first time in weeks, she spread her arms and soaked up the light. The sheer joy and relief was a tangible thing. That alone would have been enough for Nick to cherish the movie clip, but what came next was really why he needed to see it again.

Turning in her wheelchair, Judy stared up at Nick with the most tender look of appreciation he had seen up to that point from her—or possibly anyone. After a few seconds, she smiled nervously, and could faintly be heard saying, "You're actually a better mammal than I give you credit for, Nick Wilde. You're too good to me. Play your cards right, and you might get hugged for this."

Nick smiled and took another shot, before moving his mouth with the video version of himself. "Oh, the horror. I'll have you know I fight off bunnies trying to hug me almost every day, Carrots."

"Har har," she told him, rolling her eyes and sitting back in the wheelchair. Pointing vaguely toward the heart of the city, she announced, "To my chariot, fox!"

"Whatever the bunny wants," Nick replied both in the video and in his apartment.

The video cut out then, as Finnick had been unable to keep up with them as they headed to the Zootopia Loop train. For as much as Nick had argued that the time on the train had been solely to keep Judy sane after being cooped up too long, he still thought fondly on that day. He had spent hours talking to her, and sometimes just quietly sitting with her leaned against him. To him, it had been romantic, letting him know he might be developing feelings for a bunny, no matter how he tried to deny it. So many twists and turns since then had pulled them apart and brought them back together.

The next video clip was one he had taken during a promotion ceremony at the ZPD for Judy. She had no idea he had filmed it. He had managed to zoom in at the right time, catching her breaking into tears of joy as Bogo had pinned a medal on her uniform. Again, the joy in her eyes was something Nick found contagious. Now, it brought him to tears.

By the time he got through all of the short scenes, many with only Judy, but a fair number of recent ones with them both, he was far from sober. He had added more clips than he remembered, mostly filmed under the guise of playing on his phone, when in fact he was recording Judy being silly or bubbly. The videos were difficult to watch at times, reminding him how much he truly missed his love, but seeing her at her best and happiest somehow helped him cope with the pain better than leaving things to his imagination. This was what he cherished, and was something he tried to keep hidden from her as part of his lifelong policy against letting others know they had gotten to him.

Curling up on the couch, Nick set aside the remaining scotch and watched until the candles flickered and snuffed out. He went to sleep by the light of the television, wishing the room would stop spinning. When he woke again, reaching instinctively for the small trash can he had left nearby, just in case, he realized he had been jarred awake by the sound of his phone buzzing, rather than the need to vomit.

Nick scrambled off the couch, intending to make his way to the kitchen table, but wound up face down on the floor. Twice, he dragged himself back up, and finally crawled the rest of the way on paws and knees. The phone had long since stopped ringing by the time he got to it, and he squinted at one of the curtained windows while he waited for the call to finish saving a voicemail, if there was one, wondering who would be calling him while the sun was still down.

With great effort, Nick managed to get the phone picked up, screen on, and type his password by the third try. He had briefly feared a call from Bogo asking him to come in early, but instead a missed call and voicemail from Finnick was listed. It took him a few extra seconds to register that the time displayed on his phone was just before one in the morning.

Nick grumbled and pressed the button to call back, not really caring to listen to the voicemail. Knowing Finnick, the call was simply his latest attempt to brag about some coyote he had managed to bring home. The fact that Marian was staying with him for the night did not even register with Nick at first, but began to make him wonder around the third ring. Even Finnick was not dumb enough to bring his particular taste in females home when their mother was there.

"Nick?" Finnick asked, the moment he picked up the line.

"Yeah. You called me. If that was a tail-dial, you owe me bigtime."

Loud background noises drowned out the line for several seconds, making Nick wonder where Finnick was. There were literally dozens of animals talking, shouting, and even what Nick thought might have been a loudspeaker. Finally, the noise subsided somewhat, and Finnick came back on.

"Nick, I need you to get downtown right away," Finnick said softly, as though covering the mouthpiece to cut down on extra noise. "They just admitted her—"

Another round of loud noises drowned out the rest of what Finnick was saying, giving Nick a few seconds to process what might be going on. His mind caught up at the same time he heard, "Doctor Elkly to the O.R." over the loudspeaker.

Any hint of drunkenness vanished instantly in a wave of panicked adrenaline as Nick got up from the kitchen chair. Even as he spoke, he grabbed his wallet and began mentally retracing his steps, so he could find his pants. "Finnick, what's going on? Is mom okay?"

"Sort of, yeah," replied Finnick, sounding uncomfortable. "Nicky, she ain't doing great. They're still doing tests, but she was having trouble breathin' and blacked out. We've been here about an hour already. This was the first chance I got to call. We're at Briarlark Hospital. It was the closest to my place."

Nick ran for the bedroom as fast as he could. There, he grabbed his pants and pulled them on, without hanging up. "What else do I need to know?"

"I dunno, Nick, you're usually the one who knows what to ask. All they've said is that they have tests to do, and we can see her after. She was conscious and aware when I saw her last, but that was almost an hour back."

"On my way," Nick told him, and hung up the phone. He snatched his keys off the table, then froze, staring at them. There was no possible way he was sober, so he took only his apartment key and set off again, running as fast as he could down to the street.

As soon as Nick reached the sidewalk, he found himself standing alongside a group of rough-looking dingoes who somehow managed to stink more of alcohol than he did. Ignoring them, he raised his arm to flag down a taxi, thankful that he only had his uniform pants on, rather than the full uniform shirt, and especially the badge. The chill night breeze made him wish he had grabbed a jacket.

"Hey, fox," called out one of the dingoes, as the cab rolled up.

Nick cringed, hoping that he was not recognized as a cop. The last thing he needed was a bunch of locals picking a fight with him, when he only wanted to get to his mother. "What?"

The dingo who had spoken tapped his wrist and then nodded at Nick. "Sweet marks. Where'd you get that done?"

Nick looked down at his arm, and gave the taxi driver a gesture to wait a moment. The scars on his arm were still very visible, as the fur took its time growing back. Lately, he wore long sleeves at the precinct, but with only an undershirt on, the markings were very visible.

"Crazy little guy did it for me before I went on vacation for a while," Nick answered, smirking at the dingoes. "I was a lot drunker than you when he did it. Would you believe I did it for a girl?"

The dingoes laughed and waved at Nick as he slid into the cab. In seconds, he had the red panda driver racing through the streets after offering him double the fare if he could get them to the hospital in a hurry. The rocking of the vehicle, especially on sharper turns, made Nick's stomach clench in reminder of his earlier drinking, but he managed to keep everything down even when the taxi skidded to a stop in front of the hospital.

After tossing money at the driver, Nick headed into the hospital, where he was met almost immediately by Finnick. They did not initially say anything, with the smaller fox leading Nick up to the third floor, before stopping in front of a room near one end of the predator wing. There, Nick found himself barely able to listen as Finnick began explaining, as he was too busy watching the nurses and doctors rushing about.

"They brought her back while you were on your way," Finnick told him, once they had reached the room. He rubbed his paws together, and looked at Nick's knees, never once raising his eyes. "The doctor said stress can make her relapse…"

"You didn't do this to her, so stop thinking it," Nick snapped, realizing where Finnick was going. "You're a pain, but you can't really compare to telling her you're dead. I'm the award-winningly bad son this year."

Finnick snorted and shrugged. "Got me there. You always gotta one-up me, brother. How's a fox supposed to compete with a funeral? You really do know how to show off."

Nick took a deep breath and put one paw on the door. "They say anything after she came back? The tests, or anything at all?"

"Nah," Finnick grumbled. "Nothing much. Just said we could see her, and some other babble. I'm too chickenshit to go in without you."

Smiling numbly, Nick opened the door and headed into the dimly-lit room. A single small light near the bed gave him more than enough illumination to move around, and he did not make it halfway to the bed before his mother opened her eyes and watched him and Finnick approach.

"Sorry, Nicky," she said softly, her voice wavering as though struggling to keep from wheezing. The catch in her voice led Nick's gaze to the oxygen mask still hanging around her neck, ready for use. "Really did mean to give you the night off."

Nick smiled and sat down on the chair nearest the head of the bed, taking Marian's paw in his, while Finnick scrambled up onto the other chair. "Hey, mom. How're you feeling?"

"Oh, I've had better days," she replied, smiling warmly back at him. "Nothing an hour on oxygen can't fix. Good news is they plan to send me home with a tank, so we don't have to do this again soon."

Nick clung to her paw a while, trying not to rush into asking questions he was not yet sure he wanted the answers to. Finally, he realized he was going to have to ask, or they all would fall asleep before he found out what was happening. "They ran a bunch of tests?"

"That they did." Holding up her other arm, his mother showed a series of small puncture wounds on the inner side of her elbow, where the fur had been shaved. Another shave and puncture combination was visible on the top of her paw. "Took enough blood to drain a smaller mammal dry, but gave me some halfway decent drugs in exchange, so I'll call that a fair trade. They spent a long time studying EKG results, too. I think in the end, I convinced the doctor I was, in fact, still alive."

"And what'd they find out?"

Marian waved her free arm dismissively. "Oh, nothing new. I'm a little under the weather."

Nick turned to look at Finnick, who appeared torn between angry and sad. Returning his attention to his mother, he pushed a little harder. "Mom, I know it's the same illness. I'm not stupid."

"Then why ask, if you already know? Seems like a waste of effort, if you ask me."

"Don't make me threaten an old vixen," Nick warned, giving her an evil smirk. "Spit it out, mom. What's the verdict? They got it under control this time?"

Marian's playful expression faded rapidly. "I should sleep, Nicky. They want me to get plenty of rest."

"If you think it's that easy to deflect with me, you haven't been paying attention the last thirty years. Even Judy puts up a better fight. Hell, Finnick argues better in his sleep."

Beside him, Finnick snorted, shrugged, and nodded.

"Nicky, you don't want to hear it, and I don't want to say it," she replied, squeezing his paw. "Let it drop. We'll both be happier. Besides, I can smell your breath. You should probably let this go for a few hours while you sober up."

Nick pointed with his free paw toward the end of the bed, and after several grunts, Finnick handed him the medical file that had been placed there. Holding it up so Marian could see it, Nick asked, "Do we need to go through this line by line?"

His mother smiled slowly. "Oh, please be my guest, Nicky. You could con your way in almost anywhere, but you've never pretended to be a doctor. I kind of want to see you try."

"You're right," he admitted, glancing at the top page and seeing dozens of words that he could not pronounce, let alone understand. "Give me five minutes, and I bet I can get someone to explain this in great detail. Would you rather I track down someone to spell it out, or just explain yourself?"

Marian let out a very faint growl and nodded. "Fine. They don't actually have a name for what's going on. It's rare. Some handed down disorder, usually only found outside this region. It's usually genetic, but they aren't finding any of the markers in me, so they think this is something similar caused by a virus, which is even harder for them to diagnose or treat since it doesn't fit the pattern. The short version is that my body is having a harder and harder time taking in oxygen. I can breathe fine, but my body isn't using the air right. I may as well have untreatable pneumonia, as it'll amount to the same end result if they can't cure it. That's cascading to a bunch of other things, like blood pressure problems, blurred vision, irregular heartbeat, and so on."

Nick very nearly dropped the clipboard, and was thankful Finnick took it from him. One look at Finnick let him know he had gotten some of the information already, as he did not look shocked. Accepting that for what it was, Nick returned his attention to his mother.

"Let me start at the top of a long list of questions," Nick began, clasping his other paw over the back of his mother's. "What's the treatment for it, until they have a cure?"

"Bed rest and oxygen when I'm short of breath," she replied, without looking at him.

Turning to his right, Nick found that Finnick was shaking his head. "And?"

"It don't get any better," his brother finished, when Marian did not. "Each bout, it'll make things worse. There's no treatment or cure. It's not gonna kill her right now, but it will. She'll either suffocate or have a heart attack."

Nick looked between the two of them, but neither seemed willing to add more. "I'm not accepting that. You're barely fifty, mom. We can do something. We need to find the right doctor."

"You aren't listening, as usual, Nick," Marian chided. "They've called around. You forget, this is my third round in the hospital. There's no one left to ask. Go harass the doctor if you want. Heaven knows I have already. Accept it, and this will be easier on all of us. I've come to terms with it. Now you need to, too."

Nick only realized he was clenching his jaw when it began to ache. Forcing himself to calm down, he waited until the last of the tension had faded before he replied. "I don't have to accept this, mom. You know I don't do that. I'll fight the only way I know how…dirty. Let's get you back on your paws, and I'll keep hunting for options."

"This isn't your fight, Nick," Marian replied.

"You want to make this that kind of discussion?" he asked, ignoring Finnick's attempts to get his attention. "Fine. Argue that I shouldn't try to save my mother, who I love. That'll be fun. Even if you win that fight, should I accept that this is something that could happen to me, too? This isn't just about you, mom, even if for me it is. Twenty years from now, I don't want Judy sitting where I am today."

"Then make peace with the possibility," his mother insisted.

Nick closed his mouth before he said anything unpleasant. "I'll be right back, mom. You can save your breath. I won't stop hunting for some way to help you."

Before Marian could reply, Nick snatched the clipboard from Finnick and hurried from the room. As angry as he was, it was certainly not with her, but he had to leave before he completely broke down. The moment he was in the hall, he collapsed against the wall, unable to stop crying softly. The flood of overwhelming emotions beginning with Judy's disappearance and ending with his mother's declining health crushed any remaining self-control he had left.

Dropping the clipboard alongside his tail, Nick covered his face and cried, hoping he could keep quiet enough that his mother would not hear him. It took him several minutes of sobbing before he regained enough composure to wipe the tears out of his muzzle fur and look around. To his surprise, a young caribou in a white jacket stood over him, watching with hooves clasped in front of her.

"I didn't want to interrupt," she said, while Nick frantically tried to get rid of any remaining evidence on his face. "You're the eldest of the Wilde sons?"

Nick laughed a little, pleasantly surprised at the phrasing. "Usually when we slip and call Finnick a relative, they stare at us like we're stupid."

The caribou smiled warmly down at him. "Some of us are a bit more progressive. Have to be progressive and fairly thick-skinned when you're prey working on this side of the hospital. I've also seen you on television, so I'm not making any assumptions when it comes to your family."

Nick felt himself blush a little. "The kiss in front of the concert hall?"

Grinning, the caribou nodded and flicked one of her ears.

"Yeeeah, that wasn't really how I wanted to get famous," he admitted, pulling the clipboard onto his lap. "I'm sorry. Still trying to sort out my feelings about what's going on with my mom."

Sitting down beside him, the caribou tapped the clipboard with one finger. "She's my patient. I wanted to talk with both sons, but Finnick kept having a meltdown every time I tried. He claims you're the more down-to-earth one. I'm Doctor Tuktu."

Nick gave the caribou a confused sideways glance. "You're her doctor? But you're… I mean…"

"Really too young to be a doctor," she finished for him, her smile never wavering. "I get that a lot. One of the youngest to begin practice in a generation. I specialized in rare and difficult to treat diseases, which fits your mother's case rather accurately. There aren't a lot of us who can even try to treat this. Maybe fifty in the whole city."

"Without getting into anything too technical, how rare is this? How do we treat it? How long does she have?"

Doctor Tuktu shrugged. "I can't offer you much there. It's very rare. We don't even have a name for it. I've got seven cases on record, and all were travelers from the far south. All of those had a genetic version of the illness, which is not what she has. We have exactly one victim of the illness—in any form—alive to learn from, and she's in the room behind you. As for how long she has, it's really hard to say. Assume six months, and if it takes longer, consider that a blessing."

Nick opened his mouth to ask his next question, but he could not get the words to form.

"You want to know if you're at risk," she said for him, still with that understanding smile. "It's not shameful to worry for yourself, too. Let me ask, first, do you have kits?"

"No, and not much chance of that," he replied, chuckling sadly. "Before the bunny, didn't want them. After the bunny, well, you're a doctor. You probably already did the math."

"I have, and was hoping you had, too. That makes this easier. It's usually genetic, though it doesn't show up in every generation, from what I can tell. The few records we have never gave us a case like hers. Every single instance was an Ursian, or their family. You may well be fine, though we need to run a few tests. Any kits would be at far higher risk. We can do the testing for you whenever you have time to come down—"

"What about my mother?"

The doctor watched Nick for several seconds, then shook her head. "I cannot spell it out any clearer. We don't have any research into this. We will try to learn all we can, but the odds of helping in time is very low. I don't want to set expectations we can't meet. We will do everything in our power to keep her alive until it's her time…"

Nick tuned out the rest of the conversation, nodding and whispering agreements as the doctor went over the treatment plan. He vaguely registered that he signed off on having himself tested for the genetic defect which they thought caused the illness, but all he really heard was "until it's her time." That phrase echoed endlessly, making him wonder how soon he was going to lose his mother. Whether it was in a day or a decade, it was going to be far too soon.


	14. Chapter 8-7

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 8.7 – The Long Road Home

 **September 26** **th** **, Sunday evening – Savanna Central**

"I'll be right back in," Nick called over his shoulder, as he moved the pot of soup from the stovetop onto the counter. A bit of the scalding soup splashed and got onto his fur, making him wince, but the last thing he wanted to do was startle his mother, so he bit down the yelp. "Kits, you'd better be in bed."

As absolutely no surprise to Nick, the five kits raced past the kitchen door, changing into their pajamas as they ran. The creak of his bed let him know they were diving under the covers, pretending that they had been ready for bed all along.

"I swear I'm raising the next generation of con-artists," he muttered, shaking his head as he ladled soup into a bowl.

"I can hear you, Nick!" Amy, the most outspoken of the kits, yelled back.

"I was counting on it," he replied, grinning. There were so many extra ways he would have gotten into trouble as a kit, if he had hearing like those bunnies. "I'll be there to tuck you all in shortly."

Nick carried the steaming bowl of soup out to the front room, with a cup of tea in his other paw. Walking past his mother, he placed both on the small table he had set up for her. As he did every meal, he then motioned to serve her, but as usual, she scowled at him and took the bowl in both paws.

"Stop treating me like I'm half dead," Marian insisted, sniffing at the soup until her annoyance faded into a smile. "You actually are learning to cook. I'd never have taken that wager."

Nick ignored the quip and adjusted his mother's pillow and smoothed the blankets at the foot of the couch. "Is there anything else I can get you before I tend to the monsters?"

"They're less monstrous than you and your brother at that age."

"Hardly. You didn't know him at that age, and I never bit you."

Marian looked up from the bowl to give Nick a skeptical stare. "You so sure about that last part? Your brother bit me as late as age thirteen. You've got six or seven years yet of that from those bunnies."

The simple comment stung more than Nick wanted to admit. "If they're here that long. They still haven't approved me as a foster parent, and even if they do, they could be adopted out."

Shrugging, Marian sipped at the spoonful of soup, before returning her attention to Nick. "Too many what-ifs in your life, Nicky. Life's too short for that nonsense." Nick nearly fell into the nearby chair as his knees threatened to give out, which did not go unnoticed by his mother. "It wasn't meant to be a play on my situation, but the sentiment still holds true."

Nick bent over and kissed his mother on the forehead, hoping to cover for his initial reaction. Her skeptical stare let him know she saw through it, but he was not about to admit to his concerns. "You okay while I tie down the kits to the bed?"

"Yes, I'll manage to win my fight with a bowl of vegetable and mock-meat soup."

Smiling, Nick wandered into the room he once had shared with Judy, where the kits now slept. The five scrambled to look as though they had been sitting patiently in the bed, innocently watching him as he entered the room. Knowing a lie when he saw it, he began looking around for what they could have gotten into. He had already learned not to hide things high-up, as it had taken less than a day before the bunnies managed to find the box with Judy's romantic novels, which had been at the top of the closet, above his own reach. Now, he hid things in places they could easily reach, which made them less likely to try for them. Finally, his eyes fell on one of the bottom drawers of the dresser, slightly ajar.

"If you've taken to investigating Judy's undergarments, you're going to be very disappointed, as she's the conservative one here," he told them, as he went over to close the drawer. As soon as he began to push the drawer in, he realized it felt a little too light. It was subtle, but palming chips for years at casinos had taught him to judge everything carefully. "What'd you take? Cough it up, kits."

By the time he turned around, all five kits were holding up pawfuls of pictures and sheets of paper. Having never actually gone through Judy's things, he had no idea what they had taken, so he snatched all five stacks from them, then looked at what he held.

In no real order, Nick found himself looking over various pictures—mostly of himself with a mischievous smirk—and pages of scribbled notes in his pawwriting. It took him some time to understand where they had come from, but he soon realized the notes were ones he had made during bullpen meetings at the ZPD, and passed to Judy. Most were jokes—not always kit-appropriate—though some were from their later days at the precinct. At a glance, he recognized some as letters he had given Judy to cheer her up. All were romantic in nature, with some going so far as to proclaim his love for her. Not his proudest moments, but still tender. The pictures were sketches of him, which he certainly had not posed for, making him wonder if Judy was a closeted artist.

"Given that these notes are between me and Judy," he began, folding back up the papers as quickly as he could, before the tears came, "I'm guessing some bunnies have questions. Spit it out. What am I going to have to explain?"

Nick half-expected questions about some of the lewder jokes he had made in the notes, but Seth raised his paw and asked, "Were you ever worried that someone would sell her, and take her away from you? Maybe give her to someone with more bunnies?"

For several seconds, Nick watched the bunnies' faces, trying to judge whether the question was shared by the others, and whether it was serious. To his surprise and dismay, they all were eager for the answer, and very serious.

"Okay, let's get something straight," he told them, as he sat down on the bed and wriggled his way into the middle of the group, so he could put his head down on the pillows. Before he could continue, all five kits moved to flop with their heads on his chest, scattering floppy ears all over his torso. "Fluff…Judy…isn't a slave or a servant. I don't own her, and neither does anyone else. Her and I are together because we want to be, not because we have to be, or because we don't have choices. No one could sell her or make her go away, unless she wanted to. Her and I being together doesn't mean I have any claim to her. Even if we someday get married, that's a mutual agreement, not anything like ownership. She's always been a bit more of the boss in this relationship than I am."

"Doesn't she know any bunnies?" Mary asked.

"She knows plenty," Nick answered. It had taken him some time to learn not to be offended by some of the kits' questions, but now he knew they struggled to understand the differences between Ursian lands and Zootopia. There was no malice in a question of that sort. "For some silly reason, she chose me anyway. Here, we don't have to do things the way others want."

"Do you miss her?" Mike inquired next.

Nick struggled with that question, staring up at the ceiling as he stroked the ears of the bunnies leaning against him. "Every second of every day. I just wish I could tell her that."

To Nick's surprise, the questions stopped. Usually, the kits could chatter for an hour without much effort, and he would have to put his paw down eventually and insist on escaping, or accept his fate and go to sleep with them clinging to him. Either was fine by him, but this new acceptance seemed entirely different. Looking down, he found that they were quietly mulling what he had said.

"Questions?" he asked, almost regretting the desire to know.

All five faces turned up toward him and they shook their heads. Acting as spokesperson, Amy said, "I hope she comes back soon. I didn't know my parents, but most of the servants talked about someone that they loved. That someone was always long gone. Yours is still out there. I want you to be happy with her."

The other four nodded vigorously.

Nick smiled back at the kits, trying very hard not to look sad. "Me too. I'd like us all to be happy together."

To his surprise, the kits who usually made going to bed into an hour long ordeal slid under the covers of their own accord. One by one, they kissed his cheek, then curled up to sleep. At first, he considered that they were up to something, but soon realized that they had found common ground with him. They knew he had lost someone, the same way every slave had. They were on equal standing for the first time. It might have been on a topic he was sensitive about, but that only made it that much more meaningful.

Kissing each of the kits as he slid off the bed, Nick adjusted the blankets over them, waiting for someone to try to slip away and escape, but they actually stayed in the bed. Smiling, he turned off the light—leaving only a nightlight keeping the room from total darkness—and closed the door on his way out to the hall. From there, he headed back to the front room, where Marian was finishing her soup.

"That was fast," she noted, as she put her bowl on the nearby table. "Did you drug them? Please tell me you didn't drug them, Nicky. It wasn't funny when you joked about that. You did drug them, didn't you?"

"I did not drug any of them," he assured her. Briefly, he wondered if she was serious, but opted not to ask. "They were pretty mellow tonight. Settled in on their own. No drugs, no scotch, not even a wooden board upside the head. I'm figuring out this whole parenting thing."

Marian sighed and shook her head. "You're more like your father than you know. In the good ways."

Nick flopped into the recliner nearest the couch. "If you mean the ways where I don't abandon my kits, sure. I'll take that compliment, even if I don't know what else there was to him. You always forget that he left before I was ten and died before there was any kind of reunion. Kind of hard to relate to memories that old."

"Oh, I don't forget," she corrected. "I've tried to, I promise. He wasn't ready to be a father, but he was a good animal, Nick. If you'd had kits fifteen years ago, how would you have handled it?"

That took Nick a little off-guard. He had to think it through, realizing that his mother was not even eighteen when she had him, so it was not unreasonable to think his father was about that age, too. "Wow, that's terrifying. You joke about me giving the kits booze, but back then I very well might have. Finnick was a role model at that point in my life, which sums things up pretty well."

"John didn't have a role model, good, bad, or otherwise," Marian explained, tapping Nick's hind paw with her cane for emphasis. "He was a loner. No family in the city at all. He changed everything about his life to be with me. Everyone has their limits, though. He couldn't handle being a father, or that's how I read how things ended up. I know for a fact it wasn't about you…it was entirely about him. It tore him up inside to think he was leaving either of us, but he wasn't ready, judging by how he vanished. A year ago, I would have said the same about you."

"We're comparing two very different things, mom." Reaching down alongside the chair, he found the Manilla envelope he had been using to hold a project he had been working on. "I'm not a father, and I'm not married."

"Semantics, as usual," she chided, chuckling. "You know damn well what I mean, Nicky. It's going on ten at night, and I won't be able to stay awake much longer. You have to work again?"

Nick patted the envelope on his lap. "Yeah. Cop's work is never quite done. Very serious case here."

"Better be careful, or you'll wind up getting promoted," she told him, as she lay down on the couch. "Try not to stay up too late."

"No promises there."

Marian remained quiet for some time, though she kept adjusting her blankets. At length, Nick decided she would probably not get up again and slid the contents of the envelope out onto his lap, as he did almost every night. By this point, the top few sheets barely even resembled the neatly-organized pages of the journals they originally came from. Without context, it would be difficult for anyone to have guessed they were medical research regarding canines, and Nick really only knew that because he was the one who had removed them from the journals. The other pages had been stashed in a cupboard in the kitchen, so he could concentrate on the ones that might hold answers for his mother. If the ZPD ever searched his apartment, the hundred or so pages with "ZBI Property, Do not distribute under penalty of law" stamped on the top were going to get him into loads of trouble.

The process was always the same. He would set aside the page or pages he had spent the previous night going over, and begin again fresh on the next. Translating the terms on the pages usually took him the better part of an hour for each page, slowing his work to a crawl, but he was gradually getting an idea of what the notes covered.

The first step, as it was every night, was to stare at the report from the hospital. He had it all but committed to memory, but with so much at stake, he could not risk anything being wrong. He was trying to match concepts written by two different doctors, more than a hundred years apart—phrasing was important.

 _Patient suffers from unknown disorder. Testing of previous patients indicate that despite all mammals sharing greater than 95% similar or matching DNA, mutation causing this disorder is in the 4% that is purely canine or sub-1% that is fox-specific. Given that most Zootopian medical research has gone into common genetic or biological markers, rather than species-specific, this leaves us with limited information. Historical cases limited to foxes and several wolves, indicating canine disorder. Primary patient—female fox—has no genetic markers for disorder, but does have bloodwork to indicate it is active._

 _Offspring of patient shows no current signs of disorder, though unlike the mother, the son does have all expected genetic markers for the disorder, indicating that he is either a carrier or will develop the condition in time. Treatments will likely need to focus on offspring, due to research time required. Disorder's 100% mortality rate within five years of onset require this to be actively worked throughout his lifetime, as a lack of resolution will ultimately prove fatal._

Nick continued on to study the gibberish that supposedly explained the particular genetic markers they suspected. Those were the only clues he had. In his mind, they were no different than any other clue he collected on the job—except that these were complicated and interacted in ways he had no understanding of. Also, they were threatening to kill his mother.

Setting aside the report, Nick slid his notebook to one knee and the pages to the other, so he could begin taking new notes. He had only begun reading, when his mother looked up at him from the couch.

"Nick, before you get into that…"

Nick smiled back at her, thankful she had no idea what he was reading, or how desperate he had gotten for any kind of way to help. He was already feeling helpless enough when it came to Judy's disappearance, this he could at least convince himself he was making progress with. "Yes, mom? I can always make time for you."

Marian turned slowly onto her side, making it easier to look at him. The amount of effort for such a simple action broke Nick's heart, and he kept his expression as neutral as he could manage. He would have tried to help her earlier in the week, but several slaps of his paws with her cane had broken that habit quickly.

"Nick, I wanted to say I'm sorry," she told him, her voice low. To his surprise, she would not quite look him in the eyes. "I never wanted to put you through any of this. It's not fair to you…"

Unconcerned about whether he lost track of his place in the journal, Nick threw aside the pages and slid onto his knees in front of the couch. "Mom, stop that right now. You didn't do anything. This is nature being kind of a bitch, and me doing what I've been told sons do for their parents. Kind of winging it, here. Never claimed to be a good son. Maybe the 'better' son, but not good."

His mother laughed weakly, and pulled his head against hers. He kept his eyes closed, but could smell her tears anyway, as close as their faces were. "Nicky, I don't mean about being sick. I mean about being underpaw, holding you back, and mostly about not being there when and if you end up making things work with Judy. I wanted to see you actually settle down and get your life in order. Now, I think I'm going to miss it, and that bothers me more than anything else. I wanted to give that bunny all kinds of bad advice in dealing with you."

"Okay, mom, you need to stop right now," he insisted, wiping away the beginnings of his own tears. "No one wants to see me be a blubbering mess, you least of all. Don't pretend like I've got life all figured out."

"No one ever does. I still don't, and now I know I never will. I'm sorry that I've become a burden on you, when you're already dealing with a lot."

Nick choked as he tried to keep from bawling. "Mom, seriously, don't talk like that."

After taking a moment to steady herself, Marian said more quietly, "I love you, son. I really hoped to see you and Judy get married, but whether that happens or not, I know you'll make the right choices. For all the grief I give you, I wanted to make sure you knew how proud I was of you. It doesn't matter if I have a day or a year left, I needed you to know how I really felt."

"Always knew, mom," he told her, pressing his cheek against hers. "Get some sleep. I love you, too, and you need your rest. We'll discuss whether there will ever be a wedding when she gets home. Until then, you're going to get some sleep and stop acting like it's the end of the world."

Marian kissed Nick on the forehead. "I kept telling myself your father and I would work things out when he came home. I told myself that for years, before I accepted he was gone forever. Don't follow in my pawsteps, Nick. If you have to, go after her. Bring her home and get an answer, even if it's not the answer you wanted."

"Mom, it's not that easy," he assured her, pulling her paws away from his face. "She's hunting a murderer in another country. I can't drive over there and get her. She'll be home when she's home. I'll wait for her, even if it's a week, a month, or the rest of my life. When she gets here, you'll be at my side, telling me to stop worrying. We understand each other? This is non-negotiable."

Laughing, Marian nodded against him, though he could feel fresh tears against his neck. "What was I thinking? Of course. I'll be here. I'm sorry for making you worry. Go and do your work."

Nick sniffled and wiped at his face as he sat back. He briefly considered putting aside the paperwork and spending the night trying to catch up with his mother, but he could see from her expression that she was done for the evening. She was going to crash hard, and she definitely did not want to talk any more, at least until after she had regained her composure.

"I'll be in the kitchen," he told her, grabbing his paperwork with his left paw. "Call out if you need anything. I want to make sure I can hear the kits, if they get up."

Marian smiled weakly, then lay down without saying anything else.

Hurrying from the room, Nick made his way into the kitchen and sat down at the table, where he tossed his papers into a pile in front of him. He managed to hold his emotions together longer than he expected, but within a minute, he was face-down on the table, crying into his paws. There was no stopping it once it started, as he had come to understand lately. Thankfully, his mother and the kits had yet to catch him sobbing, allowing him what was left of his dignity.

 _Never let them see they get to you_ , he ordered himself, wiping away the tears as he sat up. _Six lives depend on you right now. Hold it together. You can crack once Judy's home. Until then, be strong. Be as strong as she is. Tough it out, because no one else can do it for you. Step one, save mom._

Nick steadied himself and slid the pages out over the table, then thought to look up. The five bunnies were standing in the door to his room, watching with wide sad eyes. Before he could say anything, they slipped back into the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind them. With no way to guess how much they had heard and no emotional strength to speak with them about it, he picked up where he had left off, squinting at the handwritten sheet of complicated notes. The discussion with the kits would need to wait until morning.

The moment he picked up his paperwork, several words stood out to him, and he began adding to his own sheet.

 _Concentrated flora and fauna can create an energy-packed kibble combination,_ he read, trying to reason his way through things. _What the hell is "kibble?" Scientific term or slang from a hundred years ago? Maybe this is some kind of vitamin supplement that…wait…seriously? This is a dry ration for soldiers? Dammit! I don't need hard tack, I need a damned cure!_

Nick hurriedly shoved aside the page he was on, having no patience for anything that did not directly point him toward his goals. The next page held a large ZBI "not for public or government viewing" stamp and related to reproductive traits of various canine breeds, but that was no more helpful, so it went onto the discarded pile. Twelve more seemed to relate to the reproduction experiments, joining the previous page. Finally, he reached a section that seemed to go on endlessly, one set of observations running from the page he was on, and onto twenty more. None of the others had gone more than two pages, so this caught his attention. Turning back to the first page, he began reading.

 _The southern aggressors and their armies suffer from the oldest issue all predators face. Armies built from the descendants of natural predators will always have a shortage of troops, due largely to their smaller litters. For this reason, the various feline and canine breeds form the majority of their ranks, with wolves standing in the forefront. We have done extensive research into ways to kill wolves at a distance and in numbers…_

Nick began to feel sick, as the gravity of what he was reading sunk in. The Zootopians had not only theorized on how to kill canines, but had even gone so far as to do testing. Page after page was filled with extensive details of what happened when canines were exposed to various chemicals, gases, and other pathogens in a search for a single effective means to kill any species of canine and thin the ranks of the Ursians. Try as he might, he could not help but see the gruesome results, spelled out clinically. In the simplest terms, Judy's ancestors had killed hundreds of his, testing out the most efficient ways to watch a wolf or fox die. He had not even been reading for half an hour, before he thought he was going to be sick, after the fifteenth reference to "bone-exposing burns and lesions."

Just as Nick was about to throw the rest of the journal pages into the nearby trash can, his eyes fell on the last segment of the entry. There, experiments which had not been considered worthwhile had been given their own section.

"Biological pathogens," he said aloud, staring at the header. He barely heard himself as he mouthed the words, leading up to a part where he stopped and voiced the conclusion from the authors: "Genetic predispositions toward early pulmonary and respiratory failure can be influenced in this way. Once triggered, these changes are passed along both to offspring and to otherwise unaffected mates. This fatal genetic alteration is currently considered too slow-acting for wartime use."

Nick stopped and looked at the wall without seeing it. He shook his head and went back to the page, trying to find the part where it did not sound like a killer's confession.

"Should the war continue to shift toward the predators, our recommendation is to use one of the following six techniques to weaponize our own predators. If released into the enemy population, they will, within several generations, spread the damage to more of their kind. We may not win the war, but we will slowly destroy their population, possibly long after we are gone."

The words felt like a blow to his chest. Unsure if he was reading more into the journal than it warranted, he reread it several times, but it continued to sound as though the researchers had considered creating a disease much like what his mother faced. Doctor Tuktu's assertion that this disease most often came from the south only reinforced that belief. All it would have taken was for Nick's ancestors to have lived in the south—or been sent there during the war—and returning sometime later to explain the illness. It was a long shot, but it was all he had. Given the lack of genetic markers, his mother might not have been the carrier at all, but rather, his father. One more reason to hate him.

Nearly knocking over his chair as he got up, Nick rushed to the kitchen counter, where he grabbed his cell phone. From his pocket, he took out the card Doctor Tuktu had given him, just in case his mother's health took a sudden turn for the worse. He had dialed the phone and was listening to it ring before he had really convinced himself he should call.

"Hello?" answered the doctor, her voice unsure. "How can I help you?"

"This is Nicholas Wilde," Nick told her, pacing the room. He kept looking to the hallway, hoping he was speaking softly enough that no one would hear him. "My mother had the rare genetic disorder—"

"The lung disorder. I remember. How is she doing, Nick?"

Nick glanced down the hall, but his mother was still on the couch. "I may have found something. If this was inflicted intentionally by someone with a great deal of medical knowledge, could you counteract it?"

"Mister Wilde, please don't drag me into conspiracy theories," she chided. "I know it's hard to cope with. The hospital can provide counselors who are excellent in helping mammals work through grief."

"I'm not saying it was that, but _if_ it was, and I had their notes, could you reverse it?"

The doctor sighed. "No. Genetic damage is far harder to deal with than simply handing someone a pill. Medical technology has come very far, but we'd be facing at least two major hurdles before even that kind of knowledge would help us. The first being a lack of research into this, and the second being a survivor to draw additional research from. I'm afraid I can't snap my hooves and make her better."

Nick picked up one of the pages. "Mitochondrial damage, resulting in a mutation that surfaces every second or third generation, causing decreased lifespan and eventual pulmonary failure, with secondary decrease in oxygen utilization by patient's bloodstream. Pathogen passes between partners with a sexual transmission vector, for those not exposed directly. Cross-infection between canid breeds is consistent, while ensuring lack of transmission to prey. Does that sound about right?"

The line went deathly quiet for long enough that Nick began to wonder if the doctor had hung up. When she did speak, she sounded very unsure of herself. "What are you quoting from, Mister Wilde?"

"What would we need, doctor?"

"It depends on the specifics." Doctor Tuktu was all but whispering now. "I was told by my superiors not to ask questions, but I heard you were reported dead last month. What is going on, officer? Everything about this is making me uncomfortable."

"Give me a list. If this doesn't pan out, you can tell me 'I told you so' for the rest of my life. What do I need to do to help?"

Tuktu chittered as she thought. Finally, she replied, "Let's say you have something there. I'd need to see it. If it's legitimate, and applicable to this disease, I would need to test it against cellular tissue to verify it. That will take a lot of equipment and a good bit of time. Most of the equipment is already here at the hospital. The rest, you're looking at a quarter million bucks to bring in from private firms. Possibly more. Even then, we'd have to research how to undo the damage, and that requires not just equipment, but also someone with a lot more chemistry knowledge than I have. Between us, we might be able to come up with something, though it could take years. Assuming everything lines up perfectly, we might be able to alleviate her symptoms and let her have a full life, but she will not regain her lost health. That damage is done. It's more of a hope for you or your children, than it will be for her. I won't have you get your hopes up for something that cannot happen."

"Text me back with a full list," he told the doctor. "I'll find you a chemist and either the equipment, or work on a way to get the money for it. I'll deliver copies of the notes to the hospital tomorrow."

"Nick," the doctor said, her voice telling him she was genuinely concerned. "I don't care if you have a line-by-line explanation of what is going on with her, we cannot cure everything. That's not how medicine works. It's a long-shot attempt at a miracle at best, with all the information. I doubt you have that much. I do promise to look at it, though."

Nick winced and spread the journal pages on his table. "Let's get looking for a miracle, then. It's all I have left."

A few minutes later, Nick hung up the phone, feeling only mildly reassured that there was a path of attacking the disease. Next, he needed the help of some other animals, who might not be so willing.

Dialing again, Nick waited for the call to be answered, nervously pacing the kitchen.

"Yeah?" came a male voice as the phone was answered.

"Koslov, it's Nick," he told the bear, trying to sound calm. "Is the boss around?"

"Wilde, it's the middle of the night," Koslov growled back. "Mister Big doesn't take calls this late, especially from some low-life fox. Unless you owe him money and you're ready to pay, he ain't takin' your call. You so much as mention a rug, and I'll reach through the phone after you."

"Stuff it, and let him know I'm calling," Nick insisted, knowing he was pushing his luck. Thankfully, Mister Big was generally tolerant of him as a kindness to Judy. "I need his help, and I don't have the time to deal with your crap."

Koslov huffed angrily, but did not hang up. "Mister Big is out of town on…business. Whatcha need?"

"I need funding to save my mother's life. I don't know how much yet, but we may need to buy some medical equipment."

Nick listened intently for any indication of Koslov's take on the request, as he paced the room. Finally, the bear sighed and said, "The boss will take your call. Hang on. This ain't gonna be a quick transfer."

The line clicked out abruptly before Nick could reply, then he heard it begin ringing. The tone sounded all wrong to his ear, and took him a moment to realize where he had heard that particular ring pattern before—the satellite phones from the ZBI. Wherever Mister Big was, he was only answering via satellite phone. It took nearly thirty rings before the line picked up.

"Hello, Nicky," came Mister Big's very distinctive voice. "An associate said you had a…request?"

Nick swallowed hard and thought carefully before replying. The last thing he needed was a repeat of the skunk butt rug incident. "Sir, I, uh…my mother…"

"Ah, yes, I heard about your dear sweet mother," he replied, and Nick swore he heard gunfire in the background. There were some things he was simply not willing to ask about, when dealing with a crime lord. "How is she? Something about pneumonia?"

"Not exactly. It's something rare. I need medical equipment so the hospital can study this and work on a cure."

Mister Big let out a long, slow, "hrm" before finally coming back on the line. "Tell me, Nicky, doesn't the hospital have their own equipment?"

"Not for genetic research, sir."

"You think you need genetic research?" asked the shrew, then quickly added, "I need to consult with someone who knows more of these things. You can wait."

The muffling of sounds hinted that Mister Big had covered the mouthpiece. Faint hints of conversation on the far end let him know that there was at least one other mammal—male—present. Finally, Mister Big came back.

"I tell you what, Nicky," he began, chuckling. "My associate tells me that the illness will take some rather extensive work to cure. I will fund this, and the city can pay me one buck per mammal vaccinated, if a cure is found. This seems fair to me. How much do you need for this?"

"I need at least two hundred and fifty thousand," Nick told him, then braced for the worst.

"Koslov will handle the details, or break your knees if you back out on this," Mister Big replied, without any hesitation. "Vaccines are not that cheap. I should know, after investing in a few. I'll set aside two million, and assign a production team to work with your doctor and chemist, as I have neither of those. We can discuss when I get back to the city. For now, my associate is insisting on getting my team moving."

"Team? Where are you?"

The line went dead.

Nick stared at his phone a little longer, then weighed his options for the other part of Doctor Tuktu's request. He would need a chemist, and that was going to be far harder to get. He knew there were no real options available to him, so he dialed the Zootopia central jail switchboard, and waited as they routed him to one of the wardens he knew from his time in the ZPD academy.

"Nick Wilde?" asked Warden Oslet, laughing as he picked up. The ocelot had always been a chipper one, and an easy mammal to get laughing at Nick's bad jokes. "Heard you were dead!"

"Overblown rumors, as always," Nick replied, smirking. He took a seat at the kitchen table, and picked up the journal pages he had been reading. "I need a paw with a personal matter. Can you get me a meeting with a prisoner in isolation? It's a life and death matter."

The chuckles faded sharply. "We've only got two of those. Gotta say, I'm surprised you would ask. I can get you in, easy enough, but if they don't want to see you, I can't make them. Which one do you need to see?"

"I need to talk with Doug," Nick said, wishing he could take it back. The last time he had seen that sheep had been in the courtroom, when Nick had testified against him. Two guards had been required to hold Doug down when the ruling came in. "It's really important."

"I'll do what I can," Oslet told him. There was a lot of doubt in his voice, which did not surprise Nick at all. Doug was hardly welcoming to anyone, and Nick was pretty low on the list of visitors he would want. "Odds are, he's going to head-butt the window and tell me to leave him alone. What then?"

Nick held up the top page of the journal. "On second thought, you're right. He'll never willingly talk to me."

"Glad I'm not the only one who sees that. I'll cancel the request form I started."

"Get me a meeting with Dawn Bellwether instead."

Warden Oslet coughed, as though he had choked at the request. "She tried to kill Hopps and frame you. Why would you want to talk with her? She's insane. She drew crayon pictures of maiming you."

"Make it happen. I'll even set aside the poker money you still owe me. I seem to remember that being a fairly sizable amount."

"Wilde, you know you cheated. I'm not paying you one buck."

"I'm not asking you to…if you get me that meeting with Bellwether."

"You're as crazy as she is, Wilde. Fine. She'll gladly meet with you. Probably be a week or better before I can get approval, but it'll be doable. I don't owe you a damn thing anymore, right?"

"Scout's oath," Nick replied, amused as always by the groan of disbelief from the other side.


	15. Chapter 9-1

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.1 – The World Can Change

 **October 11** **th** **, Monday – ZPD Precinct One**

"It's with pride and a bit of surprise, I make today's announcement," Chief Bogo told the thirty collected officers at the start of the day's bullpen. "We're looking at a few different promotions, after the city has finally decided to acknowledge the actions of our fellow officers, now that escalations with the south are calming down. I've also got some good news for those of you who've been here a while."

Nick smiled and turned in his seat to look back at Delgato, Cannus, and Spetz. The three had been absent a lot lately, coordinating with the mayor and other important figures. Though he had known for a few weeks, the news had finally broken word of an impending attack by the Ursians on the southernmost provinces of Zootopia. The three ZPD officers had been working twenty hour days, helping get the military ready for an attack. In the end, the Ursians had backed down with little more than a few warning shots fired—to everyone's surprise—but the efforts had not gone unnoticed.

"Corporal Stan Delgato, please come forward," Bogo ordered, beckoning. Once Stan reached the podium—scratching at his still-growing mane nervously—Bogo picked up a small box from the stand. "For actions in the line of duty, far above and beyond expectations of this department, I am awarding you a departmental medal of honor. I've offered you promotions in the past, but once again—"

"I still only want to be a beat cop," Stan cut in. "With all due respect, I decline whatever promotion you are offering."

"You've been overruled this time. The mayor insists. Officer Delgato, you are hereby promoted from corporal to sergeant. Don't like it, take it up with the mayor. Go sit down, before I have to knock you down and pin this medal on you."

Smiling but looking entirely embarrassed, Stan took the box from Bogo and went back to his seat.

"Detective Cannus and Corporal Spetz, step forward together," Bogo said next, pointing at them, as though they might try to escape. "You are also getting medals of honor. You've both already gotten and accepted your promotions, so that's not news anymore." After moving to the front of the room, the wolf and leopard grinned broadly as Bogo put their medals into their paws. "However, I am obligated to also reprimand one of you."

The whole room went quiet, and Carl and Felix exchanged worried glances.

Picking up and tapping a stack of papers on the podium, Bogo looked angrily between the two. "Spetz. I want answers. How could you allow this to happen?"

Felix Spetz cocked his head and turned just enough to glare at Carl, then looked back at Bogo. "I don't understand, sir."

"Fine, be that way," Bogo grumbled, turning to Carl. "I hear that you and your ladyfriend are moving in together. I blame Spetz for letting this happen, obviously. Care to explain why we're losing one of our top overtime officers?"

The laughter in the room kept Carl from answering right away. "Cyndi doesn't exactly have a lot of friends in the area. It's not that serious, really. We're just trying to cut down on trips back and forth between her apartment and my house—"

"Yeah, yeah, shut it," Bogo told Carl, motioning for him to go away. "Those kind of excuses are better suited to Wilde. If there's a wedding, you'd better invite me, or you're fired. That's always been departmental policy."

Raising his paw, but not waiting to be called on to speak, Nick asked, "Sir, I'd have come up with better excuses."

"Shut your mouth, Wilde," Bogo snapped, holding up two more medal boxes as he pointed at Nick. "While you're keeping it shut, get on your paws. You're next."

Nick blinked hard and looked around the room for the expected laughter at the idea of him getting any sort of award or medal. Instead, he found that the animals who knew where he had gone recently all nodded knowingly, while those unaware were watching him in obvious confusion—likely mirrored on his own face.

"Don't have all day, Wilde," Bogo muttered, pointing at the spot in front of his podium. "Front and center."

Nick lowered his head nervously, and got down off his chair. Slinking to the front of the room, he paused in front of the podium, half-hoping he could vanish in its shadow.

"Officer Wilde," Bogo began, a bit more formally. "You're among our newest full officers, aside from the rookies. Few outside this room know about the fight you had with Rolen a couple months ago—"

"Never happened," Nick cut in, earning a glare from Bogo. "That was all you and my partner."

"—where you tried to face down a mammal half again my size to protect another officer."

"Okay, that I did do. But I was hoping she'd give me a kiss for doing it."

"That arrest could have made the career of any officer here, but you insisted on all of the credit going to someone else."

Nick looked back at the table when Bogo mentioned "someone else," where two coffee mugs sat. One was Nick's, and the other he set out every morning for Judy, as a reminder that he was still working as her partner, even if he was waiting for her return. She was the "someone else" he had insisted on getting the credit for his half of the work. Early on, it had been so he could maintain some level of status in the underworld of Zootopia, but lately it had become more habit than anything else. He really did not want the credit, and anything he could do to further her career—even if she did not want or need his help—was a good thing in his mind.

"If I'm accepting a medal for Officer Fluff, could we cut the melodrama?" Nick asked, turning back to face Bogo.

"Wilde, I'm trying to compliment you. Stop being a pain in the tail and accept your praise. You're a fine officer, though not exactly a model employee. You've done more in a few short months to advance this department than most of us have done in years." Nick began digging his toe claws into the carpet, wishing he could escape from being the center of attention. This was not his place. He loved attention, but only on his terms. Praise was rarely when he wanted others looking at him. "For your injuries in the line of duty, and actions trying to save other officers, both within the city and elsewhere, the mayor and I have decided to give you the departmental Purple Heart."

Nick winced and shook his head. "I don't deserve medals, sir."

"I don't care what you think you deserve, Wilde," Bogo insisted. "You're also being promoted. This one went against my better judgment, but I couldn't really argue with the mayor or the ZBI on this one. They both agree that you've more than earned a promotion to detective, after the cases you've solved or helped solve."

Raising his muzzle so he could look Bogo in the eye, he softly replied, "No."

Bogo trailed off, holding a box that likely contained both the Purple Heart medal and the new stripes for Nick's uniform. "Excuse me? I didn't give you a choice, Wilde."

"No, sir," Nick answered again. "I will not accept a promotion."

"On what possible grounds?"

Turning partway, Nick pointed to Judy's empty spot at the table, where her coffee grew cold. "I lost my partner. When she comes back, we can discuss this. I won't take a promotion without her at my side. She's earned it far more than I have."

"You're not wrong," Bogo snapped, one corner of his muzzle curling with amusement. "I don't promote based on team efforts, Wilde. You are being promoted solely based on what you've done. Accept the damn praise."

"I will do no such thing, sir. May I take my seat?"

Bogo's grip on the podium with his left hoof was starting to make the wood creak. Slowly, he nodded, but still held out the box for Nick in his other hoof. "You've earned your medal, whether you believe it or not. I will put the promotion on hold for the moment."

Nick took the box and went back to his seat without opening it. He tossed it onto the table in front of him, without really caring to look at the contents.

"There is one last order of business before we move on," Bogo continued, picking up one last box from the podium. He stared at it for several seconds, before walking over to stand in front of Nick. Slowly, he placed the box alongside Judy's mug, then returned to the podium without saying anything about it. "As some of you recall, Officer Grizzoli took a leave of absence after one of the earlier fights against Rolen's mammals in the city. Today, he will be returning to active duty. Additionally, Officer Wolford has asked for and been cleared for desk duty, and will take back his office next week."

The applause in the bullpen was something Nick simply could not bring himself to join. Instead, he found himself staring at the box with Judy's medals, alongside her cooling coffee mug. He felt the happiness at old friends returning, but it was hard to enjoy it without Judy there.

When at last the cheering stopped, Bogo cleared his throat and started fresh. "Last week, Capra rescued a young beaver, who claimed he had been forcibly encouraged into working as a prostitute near Happytown. I don't need to tell all of you the risks that come with that sort of thing showing back up in the city. The official city stance is that we don't care what any animal does in their free time, but we won't have anyone exploiting others. I don't want this becoming a common occurrence, so I want everyone to be especially alert to any runaways or other easy marks being used like that. Bring them in, and arrest those exploiting them. I want every mammal in this city safe. The mayor is willing to open up an extra homeless shelter for at-risk animals, if needed."

Nick barely heard the ongoing explanation of the latest crimes and criminals they were to watch for. Instead, he stared at the box by Judy's mug, wondering when or if she would ever have the contents pinned to her uniform. A sudden buzz made Nick initially think Bogo was doing something to get his attention back, but he realized it was coming from his cell phone. So few mammals would even consider calling him early in the morning that he hurriedly pulled it out to see who was trying to reach him. To his surprise, he found a text message from Oslet, over at the city prison.

 _Got approval from mayor. You can meet with Bellwether at nine this morning. She cackled. Be warned. –O_

Nick read the message several times, before putting his phone away. One more thing off his list, for better or worse. It was almost time to find some way to convince Bellwether to make Doug help.

Half an hour later, Nick made his way from the bullpen, carrying both his medal box and Judy's. Having no desire to wear anything additional on his uniform or even acknowledge the awards, he took the boxes to his locker and put them away, hoping to not touch them again until Judy was back. When he left the locker room, Spetz was waiting for him near Clawhauser's desk.

"The chief decided I'd done something wrong," Felix explained to Clawhauser, a bit more loudly than needed, so Nick could hear as he approached. "He's assigned me to babysit Wilde."

Nick snorted and rolled his eyes as he came over. "Police are supposed to help keep animals out of trouble. Consider this advanced training."

Felix's grin told him that he was looking forward to it, no matter what he might say. "We have our pick of patrol routes today. Bogo asked me to set up a watch for any sign of trafficked animals. He wanted you to be involved—"

"Because I was dating a trafficked animal last summer and didn't realize it at the time," Nick finished for Spetz, turning and leading the way toward their car. "I'm not stupid. I know why he makes the decisions he does. I've got experience with almost every bad thing we deal with daily. This one hits a little closer to home."

Felix's soft paws barely made a noise as he ran to catch up. "That's not what I meant, Nick. I wasn't trying to bring that back up."

"I know," Nick assured him, as they reached the door to the motor pool. Looking out, Nick groaned when he saw that a thin layer of snow had covered the vehicles since he had arrived, with sheets of fine snow still coming down from a freakishly unseasonal storm. Though the district kept things warm enough that snow was sparse, the precinct lay in a dead zone, where the weather machines did not always maintain the same conditions as other places nearby. He was tempted to divert the patrol into the hottest parts of Zootopia, where it was likely raining or misting, but he knew anything they needed to find would probably be far from there. "If I can't put it behind me, I can't very well blame you for making me think of it by accident."

They stood at the door a while, watching the snow coming down. At last, Felix asked softly, "You're brooding more with each day. Are you okay?"

"Not really," Nick admitted, and zipped up his jacket. "I don't sleep much anymore, and she's been gone more than a month. I want to know she's coming home."

"She's alive, Nick," Felix insisted firmly. "I can hear the fears in what you're saying. Stop thinking the worst."

"It's part of the job description. You mind if we head up toward Happytown? It's the most likely place for what we're looking into, and I have somewhere I need to stop up there later this morning. Gotta be there by nine."

Felix scowled at Nick, but shrugged. "Probably right that it's the best place, but where would you have to go around there? Besides, we don't patrol much in that district. I wouldn't even know where to look."

Nick could not think of a good way to lie, so he opted for the absolute truth. "I do know where to look. I was raised there. I'll even give you the tour of everywhere to look for problems that hide from other districts. Besides, I want to stop by the prison and have words with Bellwether."

"Dawn?" Felix asked, eyes widening. "She hates you. Said she'd find a way to get revenge on you and Judy during the trial. I've seen the drawings she made of hanging you. She posts crayon drawings of awful things she'll do to you almost weekly on Muzzlebook—and she actually has followers, who critique the drawings, ranking them in order of how painful they'd be for you. What possible reason do you have to visit her?"

"Believe it or not, I need her help."

"She can't bring Judy home, Nick."

Nick smirked. "I know. That's not it at all. The only one, other than Harry, who might be able to bring her home is Fangmeyer, and he's—"

"Dead. He's dead, Nick. We all know it. Don't gloss it over. I'd love to think he's alive and well, but we know better. Judy and Harry will need to work together to get out of the south. That's the absolute truth. I won't pretend the odds are good, or sugar coat it for you."

"Of course you won't," Nick replied, pushing open the door and stepping out into the chill wind and toe-numbing slush. "That's why I asked to have you assigned to be my partner for now. Everyone else will try to make light of the situation, as if Judy's just back at my apartment. You care as much as they do, but you don't make up stories. I appreciate it more than you know."

Nick trudged out to their cruiser and shoved as little snow off the window as would allow him to see out, before sliding into the tolerable warmth of the interior. Spetz joined him a moment later, shivering, but otherwise keeping quiet. In truth, that was what Nick prized most in his temporary partner. The leopard kept mostly to himself, aside from occasional disparaging remarks about Cyndi.

The patrol was slow-going, as much because there was little to see as it was because the snow had been a surprise, and few streets were plowed. In the Savannah, the snow was little more than slush and misting rain, but when they crossed into the Rainforest District, the rain came down in sheets that slowed driving to a crawl. Finding nothing there, they continued into Tundratown, the blowers between districts removing most of the water from the cruiser, lest it ice over. The transition was rather brutal, going from endless sheets of rain into a near white-out of swirling snow. Even with chains on their tires, the cruiser struggled to make headway, pushing snow as much as riding on it.

"No one's going to be walking streets out here," Felix said, after they had gotten several blocks in. "Even the polar bears and seals are heading to cover. A little early in the season for a storm this bad. It'll be a while before anyone's ready for this. Head to Happytown. You needed to go there anyway, and it's the only place where the conditioning systems won't be skewing things one way or another."

Nick silently changed directions at the next intersection—or rather, he hoped it was an intersection, as it looked more like a snow-covered field with a street light over it—and pushed the car toward the wall, headed to Happytown by way of the Meadowlands. The drive into and through the Meadowlands was a welcome relief after Tundratown, with a thin layer of snow coating everything. The road was slippery, but very passable.

"That anything?" Felix asked, startling Nick out of his numb stare at the road. "Over there."

Turning to look, Nick saw three young sheep near the side of a building, huddled together. When they saw the cruiser, they shoved their hooves into their pockets and began walking quickly away.

"Just teens trading some weed or another," Nick noted, relaxing. He had sold more than his fair share of random green herbs to sheep in his younger days. They were far from picky mammals, and had rarely complained if the product he sold them was finely-mulched lawn grass, which it always had been when he was selling. "You want to chase them down?"

Felix snorted and crossed his arms. "Hardly. You know the drill. Minor drug use in public is an add-on offense if we catch them at something bigger. Not worth racing after some teenagers over that."

"So was prostitution, until recently."

"I know," Felix replied, watching the buildings pass by. "Until Silvia told us about the way Rolen was exploiting mammals against their will… Oh shit, I'm sorry, Wilde. I promised I wouldn't bring up her name. I'm failing at this today."

To Nick's surprise, the mention did not sting even a little. The fact that he had finally gotten the last touch of bitterness out of his system left him almost able to smile. "It's fine. I'm sorry we had to find out the hard way, but we've already saved three victims within the city, so I'll call that a win. All it took was Rolen showing the lowlifes of the city how to use someone for their profit, and now everyone's trying to get in on every gimmick they can find to make money."

Felix looked over at Nick, a distant and thoughtful expression on his face. "I know your past. What would you have done, if this all went down?"

"Rolen starting up drug rings, prostitution, and slave trade?" he asked, more than a little surprised by the question. "That's easy. Nothing. Maybe even joined the ZPD. I profited off those who weren't getting hurt by it. Make money from those willing to spend the money. I didn't take from those who might miss it, or would get themselves in trouble. This is so far outside my league it's not even funny. I'd probably have turned ZPD informant, if it weren't for…"

The trailed-off remark did not go unnoticed by Felix. "If it weren't for Hopps. Would you do anything differently, if you had the chance? Let's say you got the chance to tell her to pound sand. What then?"

"I'd love to say I'd have told her off, but there was no way. For all the crap I gave her, I thought she was cute the moment she showed up. It was hard to scam her. She beat me at my own game the day we met, and to me, that's just plain sexy. I'd probably have gotten away from the ZPD if I could, but I'd have tried to find a way to stick around her. Cute little bunny needs someone watching out for her."

Felix opened his mouth, but shut it again quickly. He had either been offended by Nick's demeaning tone, or had been about to comment on Judy's lack of anyone—other than another bunny—watching out for her wellbeing. Neither was a topic they wanted to openly discuss.

The last few minutes of the drive to the low wall between Meadowlands and Happytown was quiet, broken only by the occasional squeak of the cruiser's window wipers. When they did reach the wall, Nick could not help but stare at it, wondering at the stark difference between it and the main city walls.

Clearly built for anything but wartime defense, the northern district walls were perhaps a quarter the height of the others, and were entirely filled with weather machinery. For all the visible equipment protruding from them, the generators did little to change the weather. Meadowlands got a slight warming trend, but was otherwise fairly close to natural conditions. The Nocturnal District was largely left unchanged, though Nick had heard that the moisture which gathered there was often diverted to the Rainforest District to supplement their rains. Happytown…it was in a class of its own, but he tried not to think about the specifics until they crossed into that district.

They soon passed through the archway between Meadowlands and Happytown, and as usual, Nick wanted to punch whoever had named the place. He had spent part of his time growing up in the district, and coming back was never pleasant for him. The battered old buildings all looked as though they should be abandoned, but were overfilled with mammals who had been unable to find their fortunes elsewhere. Happytown was where one went when unwilling or unable to leave the city entirely, but was too poor to actually afford Zootopia.

A glance back at the walls made Nick irrationally angry, as he knew he would be in earlier thoughts about the weather. Every other district had some form of weather modification, even if it was subtle. Happytown was more like a suburb of the city, left forgotten in the far corner, well away from the watchful eye of the government. No weather adjustments were made at all, and there were no vents on the walls to indicate they had ever even considered adding any. More than once, he had wondered if Happytown began its earliest days as a squatter's village outside the city proper. Happytown suffered strange weather patterns as a form of backlash to the weather changes across the wall in neighboring districts, resulting in a wild ride for the residents most days.

"A few places we can check out on the way back," Spetz told him, pointing to some run-down alleys and particularly sketchy buildings. "I don't like the look of them, which makes them worth a glance." Nick started to pull the cruiser over to check right away, but Felix pointed back at the road. "No time. You had an appointment. Let's get you there, and I'll patrol the area until you're done. With luck, I'll find some more good spots to watch."

Nick turned at the next intersection—sliding the car slightly on the slick road—and headed toward the outermost sections of the district. He was not even halfway across Happytown before he could see the hulking behemoth of stone and metal that was the city's prison. While each district maintained a small jail, the old prison was where the worst criminals ended up, though there were not many in Zootopia, thankfully. From what Nick had heard, they were holding a cell vacant for Rolen, if and when he was brought back.

The road between the heart of the district and the prison began like most others, with heavily-crowded buildings on both sides. Soon, those became more sparse, until they were passing through the last stretch, where the city seemed to come to an abrupt halt, leaving open fields between the last buildings and the prison.

"You sure you wanna talk to her?" Spetz asked, as they rolled into the visitor parking lot. "This isn't going to be a nice chat."

Nick nodded and turned off the cruiser. "She can spit on me or attack me, for all I care, as long as I get the help I need for my mother. It's still a gamble, even then, but checking this off my list of things I've tried is worth it."

Nick reluctantly opened the door and dropped to the ground alongside the car, as Spetz slid over into his spot.

"Call me or have the wardens page me when you're getting checked out," Felix said, as he took hold of the door to close it. "I'll meet you back here. Don't let her get to you. I've only met her once since her arrest, and I wouldn't want to go in there."

Smiling, but keeping quiet, Nick began the slow walk from the lot up to the main visitors' entrance. To his surprise, he was met at the door by two older wolves in uniform.

"Officer Wilde?" asked one, holding the door open for him. "We were told you were coming. She's disturbingly excited to talk to you, and telling everyone."

That rattled Nick even more than the guards meeting him at the door. "I thought she's in isolation and not getting visitors?"

"Not really isolation," the other wolf replied, as Nick stepped into the warmer lobby. "We keep her out of the general populace, as she tends to…uh…piss off the predators."

"But how did you know she was excited, unless you were talking to her? It was my understanding visitors—including police—had to be cleared."

At that, the guards exchanged nervous glances, and began walking down the hall without waiting to see if Nick would keep up. Everything about the situation was beginning to feel a lot less under control than he would have liked.

The wolves stopped at the first gate, where a rhino waited behind bulletproof glass to buzz animals in or out of the main cell wing.

"Keys, phone, radio, weapons, cuffs, and pretty much everything else," the taller, brown wolf told Nick, tapping a tray near the rhino's window. "Might want to put your belt in there, too."

Nick paused with his service pistol and pawcuffs over the tray. "Making it sound like she's going to try to kill me with what I'm wearing…"

His words trailed off as Nick realized that none of the three guards were wearing their badges or anything else that would allow him to identify them. As an afterthought, he looked up at the security cameras, and not one of them had the standard red LED shining. Someone was going out of their way to isolate him from any form of evidence. No video, no names, and likely no proof he had ever been there.

"Nah, doubt she'll come after you," answered the shorter wolf. "She wants to make sure we don't let anyone through who might be after her."

"Should I sign in on the log?" Nick asked, looking around for the usual book the prison was required to keep.

"No need," grunted the rhino. "I'll make sure it's written down."

Nick wondered if he should voice his next thought, but decided there was really no harm in it. "And whose payroll are you on? Zootopia's, or hers?"

Both wolves shrugged, and the taller one tapped the tray again. "Everything in, or you don't get to see her. Her rules, not mine. Feel free to leave, if you don't like it."

Nick hesitated, with his paw over the tray. With few other options, he set his pistol and pawcuffs in the tray. More reluctantly, he dropped his keys, his cell, and his radio in after. Now, he was as much a prisoner as Dawn.

"We good?" Nick asked, as the last item rattled in the tray. "I don't have all day."

"You got as long as she wants to talk," the shorter wolf said, chuckling. "Might lock you in there all week, if she asks."

Turning on the wolf, Nick tried to stand as tall as he could, though that left him only even with the wolf's chest. "I'm going along with this because I want to. Keep threatening me, and I'll bring your little game down around your ears, understood?"

Growling as he lowered himself to Nick's height, the wolf stared him in the eyes. "You talking back to me, fox? If you think Bogo is a risk to anyone here, you got a lot to learn about the politics of this city."

"Bogo?" Nick asked, forcing himself to stay calm under the gaze of the wolf. "Hardly. I'd get Mister Big to deal with you, since he's been informed why I'm here. I know how the underworld works. Don't pretend you play the game better than I do. The moment you took your badge off, you entered my world. I'm betting there's a hundred animals in here on his payroll, who'd be happy to remind you who's in charge. Dawn may control a few of you, but you're vastly outnumbered."

The wolf held his ground a few more seconds, then backed away, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Whatever. Let's get this done with. Knock on the glass when you're ready to leave."

Nick smiled and thanked the wolves, treating their threats as nothing more than egotistical jokes. The rhino buzzed them through the gate, and they continued down the main hall of the prison. From there, they diverted to another cell block, where a pig buzzed them past another gate. That block then led into a secured wing—again with its own security gate—where only six cells lined the hall. Unlike the other areas, these cells had a clear plastic wall on the hall side, preventing the prisoners from reaching out at all, while giving the guards and cameras a good view at all times.

As soon as they passed the last gate, Nick saw the cameras in the hall go dark. Any doubts he had about what was happening were gone. There would be no record of his visit. Likely, Warden Oslet would never again return his calls.

"Wait here," the brown wolf told him, and went on ahead to the last cell.

Ignoring the remaining wolf, Nick looked around at the cells nearby. Most were empty, though the farthest he could see into—the last before the one the guard had gone to—had a familiar face glaring back at him. Doug looked none too happy to see him. Naturally, Nick waved and grinned at the sheep.

"She'll see you," the wolf at the end of the hall called out. "You've got twenty minutes. You touch her, we come in sooner and tell everyone you had a weapon. We have an understanding?"

"No, we don't," Nick told the wolf, feeling the other guard bristle beside him. "You're lackeys. You don't get a say and don't get an understanding. Her and I have an understanding. You…you're just in the way. Shoo."

The wolves held their ground for a little longer than Nick was comfortable with, but eventually they walked past him and stopped at the entrance to the hall.

Nick waited until the wolves had settled behind him, and then wandered to the end of the hall with his paws in his pockets, taking note of the key hanging from the outside of Dawn's cell door. Passing Doug's cell, he stopped in front of Dawn's, finding she was sitting on the floor, surrounded by a few dozen sheets of paper. As soon as he came to a stop, the ewe looked up at him, her eyes narrowing over her glasses.

"Come in," Bellwether told him, motioning toward the cell door with one hoof. "I thought I'd be seeing both you and Officer Hopps. Didn't think you'd come alone. How's Rolen doing? I heard you crossed him and managed to live through it. That's got to be an interesting story."

Nick opened the cell door and proceeded to the center of the cell, right in front of Dawn's collection. Peering down at the page nearest his toes, he saw that the documents were ledgers and spreadsheets. On the walls were playful drawings of foxes and bunnies being butchered, which he ignored and went back to studying the papers on the floor.

"Rolen's fine. Sends his love. Managing a business?" he asked her, tapping the corner of a page with his toe's pad. "Most restaurants have less paperwork than you've got going here."

Bellwether huffed and slid her glasses up her muzzle with a fingertip. "You try managing a few dozen criminals and other scum, fox. It's more work than most expect."

"In case you missed the memo, you're a criminal…oh, and scum, let's not forget that," Nick told her, though she kept her attention on her paperwork this time. "Still got, what, ten years in here before you can try to give Mister Big a run for his money?"

"I'm sure I'll be out with good behavior soon enough. Got to keep myself sharp, so you preds don't take everything I worked for while I'm hiding in here."

Nick squatted down, and Dawn lifted her head enough to watch him. "I don't care what you're up to. I need to talk to you, then you can get back to your little circus."

Dawn adjusted her glasses again, then crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want, pred? And what makes you think I'll even consider it?"

"Oh, I know you will, but we'll come back to that. I need your help—"

"Hah!" Dawn exclaimed, then clapped her hooves excitedly. "Just to hear that nonsense was worth letting you in here. Go, run along, fox. I won't help you or your bunny."

"My bunny's fine on her own, thanks. This is a favor for me."

"Even less likely I'll give you a chance. You can go now."

"I want to negotiate for this favor," he told her. Despite her glare, he remained squatted in front of her. "Some good old fashioned haggling never hurt anyone."

Dawn stayed quiet a long time, then slid aside her papers and squinted at Nick. "This should be rich, coming from a fox. What do you want, that you think I can still offer?"

"I want Doug."

"Next cell over, pred. Didn't know you were too dumb to tell us apart."

"Oh, I know who's who and who's in charge," he admitted. Cocking his head, he listened for Doug's raspy breathing, and found that he was somewhere near the edge of the glass and wall. "You somehow got leverage over Doug and convinced him to betray Rolen. That's impressive."

Dawn's glare softened ever so slightly. Ego was still her weakness. "He's stuck in here as long as I am. You can ask him through the glass."

"No, I can't do that without you approving. He's deferring to you. I've got some complicated chemistry homework, and I need him to help. I also need to be able to trust him. That means I need you."

"I'd rather choke on a fur ball than help you. You're going to have to be very persuasive, and so far you're failing."

"I'm asking you to do this for someone else, Dawn. My mother's health depends on getting Doug's help. As you can guess, I'm rather desperate."

Dawn's lopsided grin told him he had guessed right and she thought she had the upper paw. "Oh, you preds, always thinking we should care about what happens to you. One less pred is a win in my book. Say buh-bye to mommy. Send me a postcard from her funeral."

Nick bit down his anger, having been able to prepare for her callous remark. He knew it would come. "Really don't want to help me save someone's life, just out of the goodness of your heart?"

"A pred? Hardly. I'm doing the city a favor by letting her die. Hopefully, she suffers. If we're really lucky, whatever she's got is catchy and takes a few more of you with her."

"I thought you might say that. I guess there's not much left I can do. Of course, I could testify against your early release. Probably delay it a year or two," he said, absently.

"Bring it on. I can convince the panel you're just another dangerous pred, who wants to hurt me because of what I am. I'm betting I'm out of here in another year, maybe two. Bat my eyelashes, and they'll believe whatever nonsense comes out of my mouth. No one will keep thinking I tried to kill all those mammals."

Nick shook his head. "You're really gullible, aren't you?"

"Buh? What do you mean?" Dawn asked, eyes widening.

Reaching into his shirt, Nick pulled out the carrot pen and held it up. "Fell for it twice? Really? Let's talk for real now, if you don't mind."

Dawn ground her teeth and growled. "Fine. You want Doug to make something to save your mommy, and I want to tell you to choke to death on your own tail. Where do we go from here?"

"You want out of here, right?"

"Of course," she replied, leaning forward slightly. "Is this where you claim you can get me out in half the time?"

"Not at all. I'm offering to keep you locked up."

Dawn blinked hard and sat back. "You're terrible at this, fox. You want me to help you in exchange for staying in here?"

"I do." Nick could not help but grin, as he tucked the pen back into his shirt. She did not need to know that he had never turned on the recording. "You pissed off one of the most deadly mammals in the world. The body count from his last visit to the city approached a hundred, and most of them were a lot more capable of defending themselves than you are. Go ahead and collect your gullible lackeys. How long will they live—or stick around—when Rolen comes looking for you? If you're counting on Doug, Rolen will pop his head off without a second thought. He doesn't generally let those who betray him live long. I've spoken with him, and he doesn't have an overly high opinion of you."

Dawn's eyes widened more with each word, until Nick began to wonder if she was going to hurt herself. "Rolen got away. He's…he wouldn't… He left the city, right?"

"Oh, he definitely got away," Nick admitted. "We told everyone he fled the city, but do you really think we'd admit it if the worst serial killer the city's ever seen was still around? That's a public relations nightmare waiting to happen. No, we'd have to lie and say he was gone. What do you think? Want to get out early? I could talk to the judge and see about a probationary release next week. You didn't hurt anyone yourself. I might be able to talk them into approving it. It'll help us flush Rolen out of hiding."

"No!" Dawn scrambled over on her knees, slapping at Nick's paws, as though stopping him from making a call. "Please! You can't make me leave prison! That bear will kill me! He told me himself that he intends to peel me like an orange!"

"I know. Awful shame, that. You feeling a bit more concerned about my mother now?"

Dawn panted and bared her large front teeth, with her hooves on the front of his shirt. "Fine. I want assurances I don't get paroled until he's in jail or dead. Without that, you've got no deal."

Squeezing his paw up between himself and Dawn, Nick motioned to shake her hoof, which she did reluctantly. "It's a deal. You rot in here until Rolen's in jail or dead. I want Doug, and I want him obedient. He crosses me, I will find a way to deliver you to Rolen on a platter."

"Figuratively speaking?"

Nick tightened his grip on Dawn's hoof. "Not even remotely figurative. You know they actually do eat prey down there, right? Tasted it myself."

Dawn swallowed hard. "Deal. I'd rather scheme in here for years, than face that bear."

With a gentle push, Nick put Dawn back where she had been when he arrived. He got to his hind paws and turned to the plastic door, finding that both wolves stood ready for him. At his approach, they opened the door, looking past him to Bellwether.

"He can go," she announced, waving her hoof dismissively. "Doug, I'm assuming you can hear me?"

"Yeah!" the sheep replied from the next cell over. "Do I get the same deal?"

"You can stay in here when we're done, and I'll hide you so long as you're helping me," Nick said a bit more loudly than he had when talking to Bellwether. "You cross me, I release you at the edge of town and work with the local bookies to see what the over-under is on you living until sundown."

A faint whimper from Doug's side of the wall let Nick know the threat was viable.

"He will be yours as soon as tomorrow," Dawn told him, sliding up her glasses. "I want your promises in writing, and signed off on by both Chief Bogo and the mayor. No signatures, no deal."

"You'll have it," Nick assured her, and started to walk toward the wolves, but they blocked his path.

"Oh, Wilde?" Bellwether called out.

Stopping, Nick turned around to face her. "What now?"

A single straight punch from one of the wolves to his lower ribcage from behind dropped Nick to the floor. For a second, his mind could not grasp why he had collapsed so easily, but then he realized he had been struck almost exactly where he had been shot months earlier. The visible wounds were mostly healed and all but invisible without parting his fur, though internally, he was not as sure. Wheezing, he choked and coughed as he tried to stand unsuccessfully.

"That's all, pred," Dawn told him, giggling. "You can go now. I think I'll draw a picture of the look on your face for my wall. Don't want to forget it."

Nick dabbed at his muzzle, wiping away the drool from coughing so hard, and checked to be certain there was no blood mixed in. Finding none, he slowly got up, watching the wolves the whole time, in case they tried again. The self-satisfied smirks on both their muzzles let him know that was all they had planned.

Once his paws were under him, Nick slid from the cell, keeping distance between himself and the guards. He turned, walking down the hall with as little limping as he could manage around the aching of his side. Despite wanting to stop and call Spetz on his way out, the two wolves were following so close behind that it encouraged him to get out first, and make the call after. To this end, he barely stopped long enough to grab his keys, phone, and other items left near the first gate. Within minutes, he was outside, gasping for breath in the chill air, somewhat sheltered from the falling snow by an overhang at the front door.

Nick sat down hard and pulled out his cell phone, dialing quickly, though he knew he would have a bit of a wait, no matter how fast he got Spetz on the line.

"Done already?" Felix asked, picking up on the first ring. "Only been an hour. Thought she'd taunt you longer than that."

"Nah, she was a lot more agreeable than expected," Nick said through clenched teeth. The longer he sat there, the more his side hurt. Apparently he was not as healed as he had hoped. More than once, he checked to be sure neither his side, nor his mouth had fresh blood. "Come get me. This place isn't as friendly as Bogo claims it is."

"Already heading your way. You okay, Wilde? You sound out of breath."

"Took up jogging in my spare time. Just pick me up."

Nick hung up and watched the lot, knowing it might be a little while before he could leave, but there was little else he could do in the meantime. He coughed a few times, and realized there was a faint taste of blood, which he promptly set himself on ignoring. That left him with finding something in his pockets to pay attention to other than the fact that he was freezing. The carrot pen was no fun, as he had removed the recorder recently to keep it safe at home—not that Bellwether needed to know that. His cell phone was the only remaining option, but even as he tapped through the various games on it, Spetz rolled back into the parking lot.

"That was fast," Nick proclaimed as he opened the cruiser's passenger door. "Figured I had a good wait ahead of me."

"You planned on waiting outdoors? In the snow?" Felix stared at him in credulously. "What happened in there? You look like Rolen thumped you."

Nick fitted his seatbelt and waited until the car was out of the lot before replying. "Kind of feel like he did, too. You know the prison guards are on the take?"

"Know? Not really. Had my hunches. Been a rumor for years, but it's hard to prove. Next time, wear your damn bulletproof vest."

"I can't move in that thing," Nick grumbled, touching his side and wincing. Pain radiated out from the scars.

"Nobody can. Still beats getting shot, or stabbed, or whatever they did to you. We'll count this is as my 'I told you so' for the day."

"In the words of the world's most famous bunny, 'har har.' Can we get on with working the prostitution case? Half-expecting some of my old hustler buddies to be walking the streets and I want to feel like I'm successful at life by comparison. Small goals and whatnot."

"Wilde, I'd guess they make more than you do yearly, so you might not want to rub it in too much. Half the cubs asking if you want fries with your order probably make more than you do."

"Not helping, Spetz. Not helping at all."

"You and I have very different ideas of what encompasses helping," Felix replied, grinning as he turned the cruiser down an alley, which Nick realized did not pass through to the next street. "Yeah, I know it's a dead end, stop looking at me like that."

"Was worried I was going to have to take the wheel from you and maybe have you tested for catnip. What're we doing?"

Felix finished parking the car, and checked his pistol. "Saw a bunch of likely suspects milling about on the other side of the block before I came to get you. They left, but I'm guessing they'll be back by now."

"Describe them," Nick insisted, doing a spot-check on his own gear. Suddenly, he did rather wish he had worn his flak jacket, especially given how much his side hurt.

"Mixed group of predators," explained Spetz. "I saw a wolf, an ocelot, and two ferrets talking to…uh…shall we say someone who was trying to be seen?"

"Doesn't mean that it isn't friends hanging out," Nick told his partner, sneering at memories of the ZPD chasing him down far too many times for simply being seen outdoors when he was younger. "Everyone in Happytown looks suspicious if you didn't grow up here. Did they see you come around originally?"

"Oh yeah. They took off."

Nick hesitated, but then took off his duty belt and tossed his ZPD jacket into the back of the car. Standing on the seat, he climbed halfway into the back seat, until he could reach his regular winter jacket. He quickly pulled that on over his uniform shirt and badge and slid back down onto the front seat.

"Stay back a good bit," Nick told Felix. While talking, he pulled down the visor and eyed himself in the mirror there. A few well-placed rubs of his fur with his thumb added a needed air of scruffiness. "You want to know what they're up to, you need someone sly. No offense, but that's not you."

"None taken, Wilde."

Nick kicked open the door and hopped down, the wet snow soaking through his paw fur instantly. He stopped outside the car for a full minute, letting the falling snow dampen his face and jacket, to add credibility for having been walking around. More importantly, it also let him get used to the temperature change between the car and the outdoors, so he would stop shivering. The winters had never bothered him nearly as much before going into Ursian lands, but now the weather felt downright painful.

"Let me talk to the group for a few seconds, Spetz. If you rush in too soon, we won't know anything."

"Yeah, this isn't rocket science. Go flirt. I won't tell, unless it's at a ZPD party."

Nick chuckled and closed the car door, before meandering toward the road. He rounded the corner and headed up the block on the sidewalk, following several sets of paw prints, hinting at the recent passing of a group around the right size for what Felix had described. He continued to the next street, where the trail led off to his left. Checking the scent, he recognized a wolf, ocelot, and one ferret, which was close enough to what he was looking for to assume he was still on the right path.

Half a block up, Nick spotted the three mammals—another set of tracks hinted that the second ferret had wandered away—following a cheetah. As he approached the end of the block, the three female predators laughed loudly as they openly harassed the overly-thin male cheetah, who was showing more than his fair share of fur, given the weather. Shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and an open long jacket were decidedly conspicuous during a snowstorm, especially when Nick smelled the perfume the cheetah was wearing to try to get even more attention. He had apparently found it, though the three females were arguing about whether he should be paying them, rather than the other way around.

 _Please be paying attention, Felix_ , he thought, as he got closer. _They're absolutely gonna run._

"C'mon, half price!" demanded the ocelot, shoving the cheetah. "You ain't getting a better offer than that. I might even teach you something."

Nick closed the distance to the group as quickly as he could without alerting them. The ferret took notice of him, but then returned her attention to the others.

"Listen, I'm just trying to make ends meet, and I don't need this crap," the cheetah told them, closing his jacket around himself. For some reason, the long gloves he wore that covered his forearms caught Nick's attention. "Keep walking."

The wolf caught the cheetah's arm and pulled him back when he tried to leave. "I didn't say you could go. Maybe you should rethink your prices, cutey. I'd hate to insist."

Nick reached the group then, and looked back over his shoulder to see the front bumper of his cruiser near the last intersection. Felix was close. He would have to hope close enough.

Stepping in quickly, Nick hooked the wolf's arm and pulled her off the cheetah. Despite size differences, Nick had the element of surprise, and managed to knock the wolf to the ground and get her arm behind her, before she knew what was happening.

"ZPD!" Nick bellowed, already hearing the others running. "Everyone down!"

To his great relief, Felix appeared from a nearby building entryway, grabbing the ferret before she had gotten very far. He ran past Nick, and returned a moment later, carrying the cheetah under his other arm.

"You see where the ocelot went?" Felix asked, seemingly unaware of the frantic struggles of the two mammals he held.

"No, she got out of here in—" Nick began, then saw something from the corner of his eye. Looking over, he saw a white tail tip disappearing around the edge of a building. He had to assume someone had no desire to run into the ZPD, but there was no way he could investigate with the group they already had, and that someone was not even the ocelot he was looking for. "Yeah, sorry, she's long gone. Two of three isn't bad."

"Three of four," Felix noted, looking pointedly down at the cheetah. "Your math sucks, as always."

"Cuff these two," Nick told Spetz, nodding toward the wolf and ferret. "I'll meet you back at the cruiser. I want to talk to our friend here, and get the full story."

Felix shrugged and put the cheetah back on his paws. "Don't make Wilde run you down. In this weather, he'll outrun you, guaranteed."

The cheetah blinked and looked at them both nervously. "I won't run."

Nick got up slowly as Felix took the wolf from him and carried the two down the street toward the car. Once he was certain Spetz would not hear him anymore, Nick turned to the cheetah. "Officer Wilde. What's your name?"

"I usually answer to Chess," the cheetah answered, squirming a little in his oversized coat. "Technically, Chester, but I don't go by it. I'm sorry, I'm not used to the ZPD wanting to be alone with someone like…like me. I heard… If you're looking for a deal, I'm not sure… It's a little cold outside for anything more than a paw-job…maybe if there's shelter nearby…"

"Whoa, whoa, stop right there," Nick told Chess, laughing. "I'm not asking for anything but information. Been seeing a lot more of these rough situations lately, and we want everyone to be safe out here. I want to understand what's changed. We don't normally get a lot of assaults, so this has us concerned."

Chess visibly relaxed, and took a moment to tie his jacket closed, before crossing his arms over his chest. It was barely visible, but he was shaking constantly. He seemed far less used to the weather than Nick. "I'm new in…in this part of the city. They pick up on it easily, and sometimes things get ugly. Same for a few others who're new around here. We probably need to find different work, but when you don't know the area, it's hard."

Nick studied Chess's movements, and he was actively trying to keep attention away from his arms. The gloves again drew Nick's attention. "Chess, can I see your arms?" The cheetah froze, and looked around furtively, as though about to run. "Please don't run. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to understand."

Chess whined and nodded. "Just some…uh…old scars…"

Sliding down the gloves and up his sleeves, Chess revealed two things. One Nick had expected: Thinning spots of fur from injected drug abuse. It was something common, especially in Happytown. The second was far less expected: Numerical scars on his forearms.

"You were branded as an Ursian military deserter," Nick said, smiling sadly. "I actually got around to learning all the designations. How long ago did you make it to the city?"

Chess stared in confusion, then slowly grinned. "I got here three weeks ago. You're the second mammal I've met who knew the markings. The last had markings, too, so there was a reason they knew what the marks meant."

Nick slid up his own sleeves and showed the scars, which had almost faded under the fur. "Yeah, I have a pretty good idea, too."

"Wow, this is a small world," Chess said, laughing briefly. "So you know what they do to animals doing what I was out here?"

"Actually, no. What do Ursians do to someone…uh…roaming the streets with less clothing than they need?"

Chess snickered at the evasive phrasing. "They'd shoot me on sight. Figured this work was already as safe as anything else. They'd have shot me if I ever went home with these markings, anyway. Wasn't sure what the north does with mammals like me."

"Technically, we're supposed to arrest you, let you spend the night in jail, then warn you to never do it again. I've found it usually ends with me doing that to the same animals night after night. I'd rather not waste your time, or mine. We really want to jail people hurting others, not the one being hurt. Maybe we can work out a trade."

Chess's eyes widened. "I thought you said you didn't… I mean… If you want, there's an alley nearby, and I'm pretty good with my tongue…"

Nick grumbled and rubbed at the bridge of his muzzle. "No, not that. Stay focused, Chess. I'd like to pick your brain about any word from the south, and I'd be happy to trade a warm meal and a ride to one of the shelters where they can help get you off the drugs, if you're willing. Doesn't work so well if you're not looking for change."

Chess watched him warily for several seconds, then stepped forward and pulled Nick into a smothering hug. He had not realized just how disturbingly thin the cheetah was until that moment. "Yes. Thank you. You might be the first mammal who's actually tried to help. I was starting to think this place was as bad as home."

Wriggling free, Nick cleared his throat and looked around, making sure no one else was paying too much attention. The last thing he wanted was a meeting with Bogo because ZNN decided to run a story about a fox cop hugging known prostitutes. While it was not illegal, it would lead to more scrutiny of the police than anyone wanted or needed.

"C'mon," Nick told Chess, taking the lead as he headed toward a diner two blocks away, where he had spent far too much time and money in years past. More often than not, he and Finnick had sobered up at the diner, eating their greasy bugburgers. "My treat, in exchange for answering a bunch of really random questions about the south. You had any halfway decent bugburgers since you got here?"

"Bug…what?" the cheetah asked, following a few steps behind Nick. "I've had a few mammals take pity on me and offer some soup and other food, but I don't even know what that is."

"Bugburgers and coffee it is. We'll get you set up at a soup kitchen and shelter after, so you don't freeze out here."

"I don't have money for a kitchen or shelter."

"It's a service the city provides so we aren't cleaning up dead mammals every winter. I take it you didn't get a proper tour of the city by whoever brought you here?" Nick glanced back, and realized he was getting a bit of distance on Chess.

"No, I…I fled and joined up with some refugees when the war efforts got going."

"Then you are exactly who I need to be talking to," he assured Chess, grinning as he pulled out his radio. "Spetz, head back to the precinct without me. Following some leads. I'll take public transit back."


	16. Chapter 9-2

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.2 – The World Can Change

 **October 11** **th** **, Monday Evening – Savannah Central**

By the time Nick arrived back at his apartment, the heavy cloud cover, backlit by the rising moon, gave the illusion of it being far later than it was. He was home an hour later than normal, but still early enough to have dinner with the kits, play for a little while, then begin the lengthy chore of trying to herd them into the bed. Then would begin his second job, dredging through the journals for information to be passed along to Doug, once things were settled between Bellwether and Bogo—something Nick expected to be done within a day or two, as both the chief and the mayor were thrilled by the idea of Bellwether waiving her right to parole.

The meeting with Chess had gone far better than Nick would have hoped, and afterward it was good to get the support of Bogo in trying to help rehabilitate someone, rather than jail them. In the end, Nick had walked away from the meeting feeling as though he had done something good—for once, without Judy's prompting.

The news Chess provided was far more sobering. In recent weeks, the newest warlord, who had taken over with Otto's passing, had attempted to unify other warlords under her command. This had led to weeks of infighting, with the cities warring against each other, all to determine who would lead the war efforts against Zootopia. In the end, Otto's city had launched a half-hearted attack, which the Zootopian military had stopped before it could even really begin. In short, their actions in the south had really derailed a war against Zootopia, even if it would never be seen that way.

Given what little Chess knew about her, Nick had guessed this warlord to be Madeline Ursa. Not someone he really ever wanted to see again.

With war turning the Ursian districts against each other through much of the south, Nick had to struggle to stay positive that Judy was all right. Chess had heard nothing of Rolen since his abdication of the throne to Otto months before. Whether that was good or bad news was difficult to say. In short, it left Nick still in the dark about what might be going on down there. More than once on his way home, he had asked himself the question he had avoided since coming back to the city: "How long before you accept that she's gone?"

 _Never let them see that it gets to you_ , he reminded himself, as he reached the door to the apartment. _Mom's got enough on her plate already. Spin the positive side of the day. You stopped part of a war, and got a homeless mammal into rehab. You're a hero, even if you feel like you failed the love of your life._

Nick fit his key to the lock of the apartment door, but found it was already unlocked. Confused, given that his mother kept it locked even when she was home, he opened the door, and found that Marian sat on the couch, surrounded by the bunny kits, but they were not the only ones in the room. Seated on chairs from the kitchen were a male pig and female goat, who both turned to glower at him as he came in.

"Mister Wilde," the pig said, while Nick closed the door behind him. "We are here—"

"Officer," Nick interjected, taking off his coat, so his badge was visible. Derailing someone was one of his best ways to evaluate their intentions and get a chance to think quickly. "How can I help you two?"

Across from him, Marian gave Nick a nervous look that warned him not to push his luck. Still, the two mammals looked more like office employees than mobsters, so he did not know what to make of her concerns.

" _Officer_ Wilde," the pig corrected, appearing thoroughly annoyed. "We're here from Cub Protective Services to evaluate your home conditions to officially approve the foster care, and I must say, I'm not impressed either by the setting, or by your punctuality."

Nick blinked a few times, trying to sort through the statement. "We didn't have an appointment set up. You were supposed to schedule with me when you were ready to do a walkthrough, but I've been looking forward to the visit for quite some time. They said you were coming out weeks ago."

"We can come out at any time, to ensure the wellbeing of the kits," the goat explained, motioning vaguely toward the bunnies. "There were concerns for them, so CPS decided to do a surprise inspection, which I have to admit you have failed."

"Failed?" Nick demanded, wavering on the razor edge between fear and anger. "What possible reason would there be for failing? We've provided a loving home for these kits, and I just walked in the door. I haven't even had a chance to do anything wrong."

The two CPS agents looked at each other, then the goat continued. "Sir, raising your voice only confirms our fears here. A predator should not be caring for a group of bunnies. I'm not certain how the department left them here this long, but as soon as we got word of it, we came right over."

Nick turned his attention to the five bunnies, who stared at him in horror. They were terrified, and he knew why. He and his mother were the only mammals they really knew in the city. They had been orphans in Ursian lands, and now two strangers were threatening to take them away, with no clear idea where they were going.

"I did all the paperwork and interviews," Nick explained, softening his tone deliberately. "I have statements from the chief of police and the mayor saying I would be an excellent foster parent. It sounds like you're coming in just because I'm a fox—"

"Let's not play the species card, Mister Wilde," the pig countered quickly. "The recommendations were considered, but ultimately, the CPS needs to decide what's best for any children in the city. In this case, we decided that a fo—a mammal such as yourself, should not be caring for these kits."

"What's the appeals process?" Nick asked, feeling hopelessness begin to sink in. It had been a good bit of time since he had felt prejudice quite so clearly. The sting never really did get easier. "Just let me know what paperwork I need to fill out this time."

The goat cocked her head slightly and shrugged. "I'm sorry, sir. It doesn't really work that way. If it was one of our newer investigators, you could file an appeal with CPS management—"

"Okay, then I'll file with them."

"—which is why we came, instead," the goat finished, frowning. "Orville and I are the directors. Given the statements you submitted from so many reputable members of the community, we had to see for ourselves. Normally, it's the department's policy to immediately deny foster parenting or adoption between prey and predators, but we wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. This may be among the better scenarios we've heard of, but you have far too many strikes against you."

"What strikes? What could I have possibly done differently?" Nick's paws shook with the effort to keep from clenching them.

Orville, the pig, gave Nick a fake smile. "You did your best, Mister Wilde. These kits are abused children, and that requires extra attention. Your need to care for someone else in your family and your particular line of work will make it more difficult to spend the needed time with them. With you being single, we have even less confidence that the kits will get all they need from staying here. We generally only house bunnies with couples, and never with… You are not an ideal parent for these kits. We will rehome them to another bunny family in the region."

 _Never with a fox_ , Nick finished the trailed off sentence in his head. "How long do I have?"

The goat motioned to the kits, beckoning them over. They did not move.

"We need to leave with them tonight, so there's no further confusion or miseducation," Orville explained, while the goat went over to Marian and the kits. "I'm certain you understand."

Nick watched the scared kits try to hide behind his mother, as the goat began pulling them down off the couch by their paws. He was so rattled by seeing them taken that he almost missed the small single-button device between Orville's fingers. Having worked with police long enough, he knew the device was a panic button, meant to summon an officer who was likely waiting somewhere on the block, in case of trouble. His own role as an officer meant little—they believed he would try to hurt someone. How that would go once another ZPD officer came in, thinking the CPS was in trouble was anyone's guess, especially if they had conveniently left out telling _that_ officer who Nick was.

"It'll be fine," Nick told the kits, taking a knee in front of the couch. They all immediately began to calm down. "Go with these two nice adults. They'll take even better care of you than I could."

Though the goat had a good grip on the others already, Amy managed to slip free and dart into Nick's arms, clinging tightly to him.

"I don't wanna go!" she announced, digging her tiny paws into the fur around his shirt collar.

Kissing Amy on the top of her head, he looked up at the two Cub Protective Services employees, while his muzzle still rested between her ears. Rather than sympathy, all he saw was disgust. There was no chance of their opinions wavering, unless he could change his species.

The next half hour faded into an emotional blur, leaving Nick staring at the door once the kits and CPS agents were gone. He could not quite put a finger to precisely how he felt, beyond a sense of losing more of his family. He had to force himself to shake off the numbness and turn away from the door to begin picking up the dinner plates stacked up on the small front room table.

"Nick, do you hear me?" his mother asked, her tone hinting that she had asked several times already. "This isn't your fault. The world isn't ready for a family as progressive as ours. We will find a way to appeal. Once Judy's home, there's no way they can refuse."

Nick flashed his mother a smile and shrugged. The chill of suppressed emotions was lingering at the edge of his awareness. "It's fine. They're right. I was only caring for the kits until they found a better home. This is for the best. Besides, I get my bed back. No way to complain about that. I'm just a little rattled. I'll be fine in the morning. You should get some sleep, too."

He rushed through washing the dishes and cleaning up the apartment. He had gotten to the point that he was ready to head to bed before he even noticed that he had burned his paws washing the plates in too-hot water. Uncaring, he went to his bedroom and closed the door. For once, he knew there was no way he could find the emotional strength to do his nightly research into his mother's condition.

The bedroom felt more like a funeral home than a place for resting. In the open closet, he could see the box where he had placed many of Judy's things "temporarily" to give the kits more room. Now, the many small toys and several stuffed animals that had not gone with the kits looked to be as abandoned as Judy's things. Mentally, he began tallying how large of a box those would require, and whether that would fit in the closet alongside the other. He got as far as removing the toys and plushes from the bed, before his attempt to pretend things did not get to him fell apart. Sitting down hard on the floor beside the bed, he clung to a stuffed rabbit, smelling the kits on it and thinking about the similar stuffed toys he had seen in Judy's room. Soon, the tears were rolling freely. The closer he came to having a family of his own, the less "don't let them see" seemed to work.

It took Nick a little while to compose himself enough to climb atop the bed, and slide under the covers. Try as he might, he could not let go of the stuffed rabbit. It felt childish and over-emotional, but he pulled the covers to his neck and hugged the stuffed animal as he curled up into a ball. Somehow, he managed to keep from completely breaking down emotionally, and slowly drifted to sleep.

Though Nick rarely dreamt, he did when he was fighting his emotions. Soon, he found himself lost in memories he tried to avoid most of the time lately. The stuffed rabbit clutched against his chest only made the dream feel more real, as he struggled to convince himself to wake up.

" _You awake, Fluff?" he asked, whispering near her ear. "If you're awake, stop trying to run away from me in bed. If you're asleep, you're having a nightmare and kicking the hell out of my legs."_

 _Judy murmured something unintelligible, though she did settle down and stop kicking quite so much in her sleep. Sighing, she settled into his arms, the fur of her back against his chest, and back of her head and ears nestled against his neck and chin. As she relaxed and pressed back into him, he was very clearly reminded that they both were naked as her tail ended up somewhere entertaining._

" _You're trouble, even when you aren't trying," he told her softly, shifting his hips away to keep from instigating anything. She rarely believed him when he tried saying she had been the one to truly start things. "One of many reasons I love you, fluffy bunny."_

 _At that, Judy reached up and clasped his paw with hers. "Why are you still awake? Go to sleep, Nick."_

 _Nick smiled and nuzzled where her ears met her head. "I'm awake because I'm nocturnal, but also because you're here. I hate missing even a second with you."_

 _Judy mumbled and did not reply right away. When she finally did, she sounded as though she was barely managing to stay awake. "Do you love me, Nick?"_

 _The question startled Nick, and any thought of sleep vanished immediately. "You know I do, Fluff. We've only been together for a few weeks, but I'm committed to this. Are…you?"_

" _Yup," she whispered, pulling his arm up under her chin like a blanket. "Didn't believe it at the time, but think I loved your silly face since last year. Don't let it go to your head."_

" _It already has," he told her, hugging her tightly. "Hard not to let it, when I've never been happier."_

" _You're a big sap, Nick."_

" _I'm serious. Never before thought about staying with someone. It's always been 'for now.' This doesn't feel that way."_

" _Hrm?"_

 _Nick took a slow breath to try to find the right words. "I don't want this to end. I've had crushes before, but I don't know that I'd have ever called any of them love. I really hope you feel the same way."_

" _Mmm hrm."_

" _I guess what I'm trying to say—and I'm not trying to rush anything—is that if we can make this work, I could see us getting married someday. I'm sorry if that freaks you out, but it's the truth. It's something I used to be scared of, but I'm not anymore. You know me, I'm the idiot that rushes into everything without thinking, but I want us to take our time, and if the moment comes along…would you consider staying with me on a more committed basis? Maybe start with making it officially dating, so I can stop worrying about you having other guys on the side?"_

" _Sure, Nick."_

 _Nick smiled and kissed the back of her head. "Good. Glad to get that behind me. I know, I'm paranoid. Was afraid all that talk of marriage or whatnot would scare you off. I promise I'll slowly ease into using the word girlfriend and try to avoid saying mate for at least a year. That fair?"_

 _Judy did not move, but she replied almost immediately, "I can't see getting married. Maybe mates. Less paperwork, and I won't feel tied down."_

" _I'm okay with that. My family was never overly religious, so marriage wasn't that big of a deal. Besides, not many churches would marry mixed species anyway. Maybe by the time we even consider it—"_

" _Could start all that tomorrow," Judy replied, and Nick choked, unable to catch his breath. "Maybe next weekend. Get a pretty dress and… Purple looks good with… Always wanted a fall wedding… That'll show Emily…"_

 _Nick was trembling, unsure what to say. As much as he daydreamed about someday marrying Judy of late, it was still just daydreaming. To have her rush things made him worry that he was in over his head. His natural instinct to flee being tied down surfaced slightly, though in this case, he only wanted to hide in the bathroom until he could breathe normally. "Fluff, I meant someday. Not today. Not tomorrow. Let's not rush it."_

 _Judy snorted and jumped a little. She propped herself up on one elbow and shifted to stare at him, her eyes barely open. "Nick, what's up? You look absolutely terrified of me. If I was whimpering or talking in my sleep, that's just something I do sometimes. Don't take it personally."_

 _Nick knew he must have looked horrified, but could not wipe the panic off his face. "You… You just woke up?"_

" _Yeah, why? Nick, it's the middle of the night."_

" _I… You… Soooo, you talk in your sleep?"_

 _Judy chuckled and settled onto her back on the pillow, so she could see him without twisting. "That's what my sisters say. I used to sleepwalk, but grew out of that, thankfully. Jenny claimed I used to argue with her in my sleep. That's probably made up, but I will believe that I talk. Don't take anything I say seriously when I'm sleeping, okay? I'll probably end up babbling about butterflies or something."_

" _Nothing you say in your sleep is real, right?"_

 _Shrugging, Judy turned and kissed his chin. "Probably not. Did I say something, or not?"_

" _Something about flowers and drinking. Nothing too weird."_

" _Good," Judy replied, sounding genuinely relieved. "Let's get back to sleep. Me mumbling is no reason to lose sleep."_

 _Nick settled in alongside Judy, slowly getting back into a comfortable position where he would not squish her by accident. After a second, he found himself unable to let the unanswered questions go. "You still awake?"_

" _Barely."_

" _What's your favorite color?"_

 _Judy grumbled softly. "Purple. Why?"_

" _Just curious. By the way, you did mention Emily in your sleep. You two have some kind of rivalry?"_

" _Ugh," Judy muttered into the pillow. "Yeah. She used to place bets on which of us would get married first. Even though I wasn't competing, when she got married last year, she made some awful comments about how I'll be single the rest of my life."_

" _So…dating me should show her, right?"_

" _Hardly. She wouldn't count it at all unless we got married, which neither of us is even remotely ready for. Crazy, huh?"_

 _Nick shivered, even in the warm apartment. Every single thing that had come out of Judy's mouth in her sleep was telling. He would have to struggle not to use that for evil. "Yeah. Crazy."_

The dream faded out as the alarm went off, forcing Nick to react. Living alone, he might have let the alarm go for a while—maybe an hour. He had no desire to wake his mother, so he shut it off and buried his face in the pillow, trying to motivate himself to leave bed and go to work. The more of the previous night that came back, the less he wanted to move. Gradually, he managed to push himself to set aside the stuffed rabbit and get up.

He swiftly went through his morning routine, showering, primping, and changing into his uniform. After dressing, he went to the kitchen and started to set out breakfast for the kits, only to catch himself in the mistake. The extra bowls went back into the cupboard, and he opted to skip breakfast, too. For all his attempts to pretend nothing had changed, his stomach knew he was lying. As much as he wanted to prepare something for his mother, she would have slapped his paws for trying to serve her.

Hurrying out of the apartment with a quick kiss to his mother's cheek as she slept, Nick headed to the precinct for the day. More than once over the course of the morning meetings, he thought about getting seriously drunk after work, but remembered that it was only Tuesday. He had to make it through three more days before he could sink into self-loathing for a night, if he could find someone other than Finnick to drink with. One of them had to stay sober and ready in case something happened to Marian—which meant Nick would forego drinking yet again, to ensure he did not have to depend on anyone else.

Nick was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when Felix talked to him in the cruiser—partially because he did not even remember getting into the vehicle.

"Pay attention, Wilde," Felix told him, brow furrowed in annoyance. "I'm used to you falling asleep on the job, but this is weird, even for you. What gives?"

Nick shook his head. "Just tired. What's up?"

Not waiting for the explanation, Nick surveyed the street around them. Snow fell in sheets, making the previous day seem like a warm-up. He had trouble seeing more than half a block, but somewhere at the edge of his visibility, one or two figures were huddled near the edge of an abandoned building. He took a second to recognize where they were, and realized it was one of the older parts of Happytown.

"You see them?" Felix asked.

"Yeah. Looks like two small predators. Judging by where they are, I'm guessing that's a flop house?"

"Good to know you're at least paying a bit of attention. Bogo wanted us checking all of the known drug houses for anyone who's there against their will, in case they're using drugs to manipulate vulnerable mammals. That's your lead from Chess, Wilde. I'd have hoped you'd be more interested."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I'm interested, but I'd be more interested if it was afternoon. I didn't even get my coffee this morning."

"You had two cups before we left, and it's been an hour since then."

Nick turned to stare at Felix. He could not be sure if the leopard was telling the truth, but a quick huff and sniff confirmed coffee on his breath. "Right. It's been that kind of day. So we're going in?"

Felix unfastened the safety strap on his service pistol. "Yup. We walk in and hopefully right back out, once we're sure everyone there is okay. We see anyone exploited, and we get them to safety. Anyone taking shelter, who isn't causing trouble, gets ignored. Pretty much textbook. You up to this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nick lied, checking his own weapon. "Let's get this done with."

They got out of the cruiser and hurried through the snow that rose to Nick's knees even on the sidewalk, making their way slowly across the street. To his surprise, no one reacted as the two officers reached the front doors of the abandoned office building. The two ferrets sitting outside shivered and watched Nick nervously, but stayed where they were. Both sniffed incessantly, hinting that they were using some form of drug. With every species affected differently by most substances, Nick had long since given up trying to figure out the indicators of what drug was in use by any given species. He knew the symptoms in many, but narrowing what they were using was beyond hopeless without a medical degree.

Felix led the way into the building, pushing open the door and marching inside. Nick followed, thankful for the faint warmth, given off by several barrels that had been filled with paper and other scrap, and lit on fire. The inhabitants—mostly wolves and coyotes—looked up as the officers entered, raising their paws quickly to show that they were unarmed, but they said nothing and made no attempt to run. As little as they trusted the ZPD, they were far happier risking arrest if it meant they could stay indoors.

"Everyone stay where you are," Felix ordered the assembled mammals, with one paw on his pistol. "We're doing a routine sweep, and don't want any trouble. Is anyone here needing assistance, or here against your will? We're here to help."

Nick looked from one face to the next, seeing only hopelessness. Once, he had been like them, struggling on the edge of society, trying to ensure a meal for the next day. These were not mammals who were out to cause trouble. They were the lost, the forgotten, and the desperate. At worst, they might be drinking too heavily. Sighing, he fastened the strap over his weapon and let his paw drop to his side. No one here would attack them, unless it was in a drug-addled haze.

"There's one," answered one of the coyotes, pointing straight up. "Upstairs. She needed help pretty badly, but no one out here really cares what happens to us. She might've left already. We tried to help her ourselves, but she told us to go away. Threatened to break arms if anyone did anything for her."

Felix began asking questions, but Nick was in no mood to dally. Walking past his partner, he climbed the tall stairs as fast as he could, soon reaching the second floor, where a few more mammals scattered at his approach. Broken floorboards made the walk a bit precarious, but he was in no true rush, so he navigated from the staircase to the nearest room.

The first of the old offices on the floor was filled with several families, who had collected blankets and had their own fire set up in what had once been a metal cabinet. He could see some kind of food roasting on sticks over the fire, so these mammals were not in any immediate danger he could see. They watched Nick, but said nothing as he continued on past.

The next tiny room appeared and smelled to have been used for drugs recently, but at present, no one was there, likely due to the broken-out window. Nick continued on past that one, headed for the last room on the floor, unless one were to count a fourth office, which had almost no floor left.

The final office was a little tricky to reach, but Nick hopped over a pile of broken desks and dropped lightly in the doorway. There, he froze as he locked eyes with a male coyote, who had his shirt off, one paw on his pants zipper, and the other paw holding a brown female fox down on the floor. The way she cowered and shook, Nick knew this was about to be far from consensual.

Nick unfastened the clasp on his weapon and drew it, leveling it at the male coyote. "Down on the floor. I want to see both paws at all times."

The male snarled and growled, but slowly did as he was told, dropping to his knees and then down onto his belly. "Listen, this isn't what it looks like."

"Explain it, then," Nick told the coyote, as he inched into the room. Cautiously, he crossed over to where the male lay, and the female still cowered, curled into a ball in the corner. The way she shook looked to be far more than cold—likely a combination of drug-abuse and fear. If she was hurt, he needed to get the coyote secured that much more quickly. "Use small words, so I'm sure to understand."

"It's…you know…a business transaction," the male offered, glancing at the female. "She owes me for…uh…stuff. Nobody's breaking any laws here."

Nick approached the side of the male and reached down to pat his sides. He quickly found a pistol and tossed it out into the hall. "She looks pretty scared. I'm going to assume some assault happened. I smell at least two different illegal drugs on you. Can I safely guess that you have a license for that weapon?"

"I…yeah…not on me."

Nick reached back and pulled out a set of pawcuffs. "Resist. I dare you. I'm not exactly the most forgiving to those who beat up on helpless animals."

The coyote quickly put his paws behind his back and let Nick cuff him.

Once he was certain that the male was not going to easily escape, Nick turned to the female, who had her tail wrapped almost entirely around herself, as she cowered and tried to disappear from sight.. His first attempt to touch her resulted in her sliding partially behind a cabinet. "Come on out. I'm not going to hurt you."

The vixen whined loudly, and managed to shrink back even more, covering her face with both trembling paws.

Taking a knee to lessen his apparent size, Nick slid closer to the female. "I'm here to help. Let's get you somewhere warm and see if we can't get you cleaned up."

Nick reached out to catch the vixen by the forearm, but froze as he caught a glimpse of her eyes behind her paws. She was not just terrified, but she was so wide-eyed as to be frightening to him. He had seen similar reactions from those on Night Howlers, but this was different. She was not just feral. The drugs had her nearly out of her mind.

"Okay, I'm going to touch you and make sure you're not hurt," Nick warned, knowing there was a possibility she did not understand him. He was very likely about to be bit. With a tiny lunge, he managed to grab her wrist and pull her arm down. "There, now let's get a look at—"

Nick found himself staring at the faint lines in the vixen's arm fur from old status markings of the Ursian lands. More importantly, they were numbers he knew. Raising his gaze, he found that he was holding Skye, her fur so matted and filthy that he would not have recognized her if they had passed on the street. She had lost considerable weight—startling given how thin she had already been—and the mud coating every exposed inch of fur made her look like an entirely different breed of fox. Deep scratches on her muzzle and neck hinted at a rough fight recently. At his touch, she whimpered and flailed, trying to keep him away. The whimpers changed abruptly to whines and tears when she could not escape.

A scrape on the floor behind him startled Nick, making him think someone else had managed to enter the room, and he turned to see the male coyote on his paws and running, with his arms still cuffed behind him. He got as far as the doorway, where Felix stepped into sight and caught the coyote by his chest, picked him up, and slammed him down on the floor hard.

"You're under arrest," Felix explained to the wheezing coyote, standing over him. "We'll read you your rights at the vehicle. Don't run again. Wilde, you okay? Is she all right?"

Nick struggled for words, as he looked back to Skye. She still glanced around furtively, clearly not recognizing him or Felix—not that Felix recognized her, either. "I am, but she's not. Felix, get that idiot into the squad car. I'll carry Skye. We need to get to the hospital."

"Skye?" Spetz asked, staring blankly at the vixen, when Nick looked back at him again. Slowly, the light dawned on him and he picked up the male coyote. "Shit, Wilde. She looks… Let's get going. The nearest urgent care clinic isn't far."

Nick slid his arms under Skye's knees and hooked under her arms. She fought him weakly, but he picked her up with little effort. After he had gotten almost to the door, she let out a low constant whine, as she fell against him, burying her muzzle against his neck.

"Go," Nick ordered Felix, as he began running, carrying Skye easily.

Spetz led the way, carrying the cuffed coyote. Together, the two officers made their way out to the cruiser at a near run. Once there, Felix threw the male bodily into the back seat, while Nick slid Skye into the front, sharing a seatbelt. She flopped weakly, and he ended up having to prop her up as the car began moving.

"What'd you give her?" Nick asked loudly, as he held Skye up, and forced open one of her eyes. Her pupils were huge, and she was not seeing anything around her.

"She was already lit when I got there!" objected the coyote, as he righted himself in the back of the cruiser. "Looked like she was in drunk and freezing, so I gave her a little something to smooth the ride. It makes the vixens a little more…you know…easy to work with…"

Felix reached back, opened the window between the front and back seats, then brought the car to a halt in the middle of the street. Almost climbing through the window, he grabbed the coyote and held him to the seat. "Pick your words carefully, idiot. What'd you give her? You keep narrating, and I'll be happy to knock you out and let the jail sort out what's left of you."

Nick cringed, knowing how angry Spetz must have been to even threaten to strike a suspect. One look at Skye let him understand why, though. She was sick and confused, and getting worse by the second. There was a very real chance she would die soon, without proper care. The foaming spittle at the edge of her muzzle only furthered that fear. One check of her racing pulse, and Nick wondered it it might be too late already.

"Some new stuff," the coyote mumbled. "Muscle relaxer, mixed with some stuff that kind of shuts off your brain. They say it's kind of like synthetic Night Howler, but the sedative makes you pretty cuddly and easy to control. I dunno what she was on before."

As Nick watched, Skye's eyes rolled back, and she began shaking more violently.

"No time," Nick told Felix. He hurriedly tossed aside the seatbelt and lay Skye down on the front seat. Reaching for the door, he dug around until he found a syringe that they used to treat overdoses. He had to hope it would work on whatever she had taken, without causing more damage. "Get going, Spetz. I'll do what I can. She isn't going to last long at this rate, though."

The vehicle peeled away again, and Nick felt around Skye's arm for a vein. Several fresh scars on the inner side of her elbow hinted at having experimented with far too many drugs lately, but he had no time to figure out what else might be in her system. Shoving the needle into a vein, he gave her the injection, praying it would at least slow things down.

For the next block, Nick stared at Skye's face, feeling his heart sinking each time she convulsed. Thankfully, even as the clinic came into sight, her shaking stopped and her breathing began to return to normal.

"You're lucky. I think she'll pull through," Nick announced, checking Skye's pulse. Once he was certain she was sleeping, he adjusted her positioning, to make her more comfortable and prevent her from choking on any vomit.

"Yeah, yeah," the coyote in the back replied. "Involuntary manslaughter if she OD'd. I know how this works."

"No, I meant I would have come back there and pistol whipped you until you were in the same condition she was," Nick explained calmly. "She's a friend of ours. I don't envy the list of charges you're facing with her alive. If she'd died, you wouldn't have made it to the precinct at all, unless Spetz here stopped me."


	17. Chapter 9-3

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.3 – The World Can Change

 **October 16** **th** **, Saturday Morning – Savannah Central**

"Officer Wilde, she's coming around," announced the sheep doctor as he came out of the room Nick had been sitting outside of all morning. "We have extra staff on-paw this time, so we should not need to put her back under. You do have your departmental taser or tranq gun just in case, right?" Nick glowered at the sheep, until he cleared his throat and checked his charts again. "Right, so you can go in now, if you want. I'd give it another week, personally…"

Nick got up, pushing past the doctor and into the room beyond. For several days, he had stopped by after work, but was routinely rebuffed by the hospital staff. They had insisted on Skye being fully aware of her surroundings before he could see her. He had initially believed that would take no more than one or two days, but whatever had been in her system had kept her sleeping all week. The one time she had woken up, the hospital claimed she had caused all kinds of issues, though it sounded to Nick as though they simply did not want to deal with a drug addict, which was what she had gotten classified as.

The room was stark compared to most of the others on the wing. The staff had removed almost everything, right down to the curtain that provided privacy for most patients. All that remained was the bed Skye lay in—or rather, to which she was shackled by her hind paws—and six ram and antelope nurses. To Nick's surprise, they had done nothing to clean up her fur, which was still muddied and stained almost brown. Worse still, the stench and faint discoloration on her muzzle from vomit hinted at even less care given to her. Skye's eyes were closed, but she squirmed uncomfortably.

"You sure you want to be here?" asked the doctor, standing behind Nick. "We've got permission to move her into rehab. You can go now, and she won't know you were here. This isn't really your job as an officer. Most of the ZPD stop by once or twice to make sure their rescues are alive, then they stop coming."

Nick looked down at his street clothes, and walked across the room, without answering the doctor. He stopped alongside the bed, as the nurses moved to surround the bed. When Skye twitched suddenly, three of the six nurses flinched.

"Are we really scared of a twenty-five pound drug-addled vixen?" Nick asked the nurses, who nodded vigorously. "I think I'll be fine. You can all leave."

The nurses hesitated, looking over to the doctor for confirmation. After a moment, they filed out of the room as a group, leaving him alone with Skye.

"I don't know if you can hear me," he said, pulling up a chair alongside the bed. He looked around, then slid a cart over from nearby. Atop it, a stack of white cloths and a bowl of soapy water lay. He took one of the towels, dunked it in the water, then eyed Skye's paw nearest him. "You killed me, and I still owe you hell for that."

Shivering, Skye's eyelids opened very slightly. Her eyes were so bloodshot, he wondered if she could see clearly at all. "I can't wait to hear what you come up with for revenge."

"I'm creative," he told her, smiling as he took her paw in his. With the wet cloth, he began slowly wiping at her fur with the grain, soon coating the towel in dirt. Extra pressure against her claws pulled away layers of mud. "Right now, I think knowing that I'm going to be nice to you is probably enough."

"Yeah, that'll do it," she whispered hoarsely, trying unsuccessfully to pull her arm away. "Did you really stick around just to tell me that I'm stupid?"

"No, I stayed so I could make sure you don't die." The back of Skye's paw was nearly white again, standing in stark contrast to the rest of her visible fur. "Also, you were stupid. What were you thinking, getting into drugs? That doesn't seem like you at all. You were all about self-control. When did you decide losing control was a good idea?"

Skye turned away from him, looking instead at the shaded window on the far side of the room. "It wasn't a choice. I was freezing. Someone offered me a way to keep warm. Everything after that's a blur. I'm pretty sure I took everything they offered me for the last week or so, whether alcohol, drugs, or…whatever."

"You like the cold." Nick finished wiping mud out of Skye's paw pads, finding frostbite damage in spots. He worked very hard to ignore the implications of what Skye was saying.

"Liking the cold, and being able to survive it for twenty-four hours a day, weeks on end, are quite different. My options weren't exactly good."

"So go home. I don't understand."

Skye finally looked back at him, her ears flattened back. "The ZBI paid for my apartment. I've been homeless since the trial. I tried to save a few things, but most of what I had was sold off at auction. The rest was stolen when I made the mistake of sleeping."

"That was more than a month ago, Skye. Where have you been?"

"The first few weeks, I was camped out in a park. It was kind of fun, actually, except when the drunks came by every day or two and tried to get me to go home with them. When the storms started, I thought I was fine at first. Those drunks looked a lot better a week in. Moved out to another district to stay warmer, but nights aren't all that warm anymore."

Nick avoided asking questions he did not want to know the answers to, at least not yet. "Why didn't you call me?"

"And admit defeat?" she asked, smiling for a moment, before shivering again. She lifted her left paw—the one opposite Nick—and it fell limply back to the bed as she struggled to make her muscles work. "I kept waiting for something to work out. Not sure why. There's no one left to make it right. Now, I'm not sure I could dial a phone without hurting myself."

"Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb with a suggestion," Nick said, moving to wipe more of the mud off of Skye's arm, though he realized he was going to need a bucket, not a bowl. The rag was already too dirty to do much. Sighing, he put aside the cloth and water. "Ask for help. Walk up to a police cruiser and say you need help. Ask them to call me. Anything. Don't leave yourself out there, freezing to death, and being taken advantage of…"

"That's new, so stop worrying it's been happening the whole time," Skye insisted, looking away. "The drugs aren't quite as new. Besides, it's not your problem. I can take care of myself."

"Is that so?"

Skye shrugged, then clenched her paws as her arms began trembling. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm more than capable of dealing with whatever happens out there."

Nick got up from the chair slowly, smoothing his Hawaiian shirt. He then reached out, taking Skye's paw and wrist with one of his paws. She turned to look at him, but did nothing to stop him as he lifted her paw and lightly slapped her on the cheek with her own paw.

"What the hell are you doing, Wilde?" she demanded, tugging to free herself unsuccessfully.

"Proving a point," he explained, smacking her again, this time a bit harder. "You couldn't stop a newborn from beating you up right now. Want to try and tell me why I shouldn't worry?"

Skye pulled with her whole body, but still could not get away. Relenting, she looked almost on the verge of tears. "Nick, let me deal with my own choices. You've got your own life to lead."

"Yeah, but that's on pause until Judy comes back. In the meantime, I've run out of small children to micromanage, so the house is feeling really empty with just mom and I. You're going to stay with us until you get back on your paws and entirely sober."

Skye looked up and gave him an almost disgusted stare. "You can't be serious."

"Let's try that again. What you meant to say was, 'Gosh, Nick, that's awfully kind of you.' I'll give you a do-over."

"I've lived on my own since I was twelve. I can manage. I'm not taking your charity. Once the hospital releases me…"

Nick looked pointedly at the nurses, still waiting outside the open door. "I'm not thinking they really want to let you go. They get kind of possessive when you stab a doctor with a spoon."

"I can imag—wait, what? I didn't stab anyone. Did I? Shit, I don't remember the last few days. Did I really do that?"

"Eight stitches," Nick told her, trying to sound jovial, despite the angry grumbles of the nurses at the doorway. He opted to leave out the broken finger, the tufts of fur lost, and the many bruises among the hospital staff. More importantly, he chose to leave out how they had openly spoken of putting her into the city jail until she had both sobered up, and served enough time to satisfy the hospital director. "He's fine, but not happy with you. Feel that lump on the left side of your neck? That's where he stuck you with more tranquilizers than we have in our weapons. They called me to say they almost killed you."

Skye tried to raise her free paw, but it would quite reach before the shaking was too bad and she had to let it drop. "I was wondering about that. I actually thought someone had bitten me."

"I stopped him before that happened, though you've got scars to hint you have been bitten recently. Again, a thank you is in order for stopping a repeat."

Skye glared at Nick. "Fine. Thank you. You did a good thing. I'll buy you a cookie."

"You can't afford a cookie. You can make it up to me by helping me keep my apartment in order, and by sobering up. Deal?"

"Do you always haggle like this, Wilde?"

"No, usually I'm more charming, but I know you can't slap me, so I don't have to work for it," he admitted, smiling ear-to-ear. "You're being discharged this afternoon, once you have some food in you, and the last of the medicine wears off. You'll be sick, but should be able to walk by then."

"I still say this is a bad idea," Skye told him, frowning deeply. "Can you find me a blanket? It's freezing in here."

"No, the sheets are enough. It's warm enough to melt some mammals in here. That's the drugs getting to you again."

Skye bared her teeth, and scratched at her side with her free paw. "What I took was just to help me sleep through the cold. I'm not a junkie, Wilde."

"Right. Is that why we found eight different forms of narcotics in your system, along with alcohol, some nip, and the Howler-tranq mix? The doctor tells me your heart almost stopped before you could be stabilized. You had an untreated infection that was already in your bloodstream. Hell, you even had mites. Want to try again to explain how you didn't take anything, and were perfectly aware of your surroundings?"

Skye opened her mouth, then closed it and stared down at her hind paws under the sheets. After a moment, she whispered, "No. No, I do not."

"Good. I'll have the orderlies prep you to go home, once they're sure you won't throw up all over me."

"Maybe I want to…"

"What was that, Skye? I swear I heard a smartass remark in reply to me trying to help you."

Skye winced and clenched her jaw. "I said that I will be happy to take you up on your kind offer."

"That's what I thought. I'll be back in a bit."

Nick set Skye's paw back on her stomach, but she never looked up at him. Giving her paw a pat, he turned and left the room quickly, passing the nurses. He got out into the hall and moved out of line of sight of the door, and put his back to the wall. Once he was certain he could not be seen by Skye, he hugged himself and gasped for breath, letting the full weight of what had happened to her sink in. He had known she had been in a bad place when he had seen her leave the courthouse, but he had never believed she could have sunken so low in such a short time. Worse still, he blamed himself at least partly, as he could have found some way to protect her at the time. Now, he had to deal with knowing he had let her live on the streets, and any abuses heaped on her in the last month were ones he could have prevented.

"Are you okay, officer?" asked the doctor, coming up alongside Nick. "You look as though she rattled you pretty good. Want me to put her under for another nap? I'd be happy to."

"No, she needs to pant off whatever she put in her body," Nick told the doctor, as he wiped at his eyes, trying to get rid of the stinging tears that tried to appear all too often in the last few weeks. "I'm still planning to take her with me, if you'll sign off on it."

"I will, but I don't think I should," the sheep replied. "You can back out of this. She's crazy. We all saw it. The court documents back it up. We can have her locked away for most of her adult life. It'd be a kindness after what she's been through."

"Imprisoning someone is never a kindness," Nick snapped back. "She's been chained and locked away too many years already. What do I need to do to check her out?"

The sheep scowled and held up a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it. "Sign and date the three pages. You're signing away any right to sue the hospital for whatever she does to you and your family, and acknowledging that we told you she belongs in an institution."

"Because she did drugs when she was depressed and scared?"

"No, because she stabbed someone with a spoon, and has a history of violence. The court records are public, officer. We looked. She belongs in a prison. Institutionalized is probably less than she deserves."

Nick gabbed the clipboard from the doctor, and began scribbling his signature each time he saw an appropriate line. "I'll vouch for her. What else do you need?"

"I need to make sure she can keep some food down. Detox takes a few days, but with the drugs she took, she'll be in withdrawals for weeks yet. I doubt she's even hit the worst of it. This isn't going to be easy."

"Not your problem, is it?" Nick asked, handing the clipboard back. "I'll be in the cafeteria. Page me when she's ready to go. I expect you can keep from telling her she deserves this for that long?"

"I can manage, even if I disagree."

Resigning himself to another wait, Nick made his way down to the cafeteria. There, he got himself a cup of coffee that smelled as though Delgato had soaked his hind paws in it for a few hours, and sat down with it in one corner of the room. He sniffed the cup, trying to convince himself it was safe, but soon settled back into his chair with the cup in front of him, and his phone in his paws. News was terrible—mostly second-hand reports of Ursian troops defecting, or firing at patrols from Zootopia—so he gradually migrated his browsing to one of his favorite bunny lingerie sites, and when that only made him sad, he moved on to shirt shopping at one of the few websites that carried clothing in the styles and mix of colors he liked.

Sometime later, Nick jumped and nearly dropped his phone when he heard his name echoing over the hospital intercom system. He double-checked the time before putting his cell into his pocket, finding that almost four hours had passed.

Nick left the cafeteria casually, with both paws in his pockets. Wandering through the halls toward the third floor nurses' station, he passed rooms filled with families with their loved ones, seeing them through rough times. He tried not to think on that too deeply, wondering if Judy was okay, and whether he needed to be with her wherever she was.

He rounded a turn in the hall, and nearly collided with a herd of hospital staff. Ducking to one side, he waited until they were past, then continued on. He froze several seconds later, as Skye came into sight down the hall when crowds parted.

Skye sat in a wheelchair—not unusual, as the hospital had a policy of discharging all patients in one—but had both wrists pawcuffed to the armrests. Standing high over her was a rhino, who Nick watched flick her in the forehead with one thick finger, snapping her head back. Somehow, she did not cry out.

"Hey!" Nick shouted, bringing the entire hall to a stop as he marched toward Skye and the orderly. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The rhino huffed and narrowed his eyes as he watched Nick approach. "Having a talk with the agent, before she checks out. Had some questions about the war, since I've got family in the military, risking themselves. Why? What do you think you saw or heard, fox?"

Nick came up quickly beside Skye, grabbing her muzzle with both of his paws. She tried to fight him, but he forced her to be still. It did not take much effort to find the swollen lump in her fur just above her right eye, even with all the dirt still caked there. "What I'm seeing is that someone's asking to be taken to the precinct, whether that be in the back seat, or dragged behind."

"You just try it, fox," the rhino snapped, cracking his knuckles. "Cop or not, you can't arrest someone for having a conversation, and I doubt any court in this town will take anything _she_ says seriously. Not sure they'd listen to you, what with being one of them."

"Start walking away," Nick warned over his shoulder. When the rhino did not immediately move, he reached down and slid his jacket away from his tranquilizer gun and badge, hidden under his long shirt. "You have until I count to ten to be out of range, or I'm putting you on the floor."

"You can't order me around when you're off-duty, fox," the rhino insisted, holding his ground.

"One," Nick announced, and the hall began clearing around him. Apparently, others were smarter than this rhino. As soon as he finished the first number, he drew his weapon and raised it to aim at the rhino's stomach. "Ten."

"Shit, so not worth it," grumbled the rhino, hurriedly backing away. He took off at a swift walk, then called over his shoulder, "Leave it to another fox to defend that traitor."

Sighing, Nick holstered his weapon. "You okay?"

"I've been hit far harder," Skye replied, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"I know your past hasn't been the best. I'm serious. Are you okay? I know how hard someone his size can poke us."

Skye slowly looked up at him, and Nick realized she was on the verge of tears. Making the expression even more pitiful was the way her left eye had already begun swelling shut. "I meant, I've been hit far harder in here. Word gets around when a traitor is in the hospital. Another day or two, and I'm confident they'd have lined up to take turns."

"Dammit," Nick muttered, and set to removing the pawcuffs. Policy or not, he was not leaving her restrained a second longer. Once they were off, he held out one paw to help her up. "C'mon. We're leaving."

Skye got up slowly, and Nick watched as her legs shook. Before she was completely upright, she lost her balance and fell, forcing him to catch her to keep her from hitting the floor. With his arms around her, he could feel the almost incessant spasming of muscles all over her body.

"One more time," he told her, easing her back onto her own two paws. With great effort, she stayed upright. "Arm around me for balance. If you know ahead of time you're going to fall, say something. We'll go slowly."

Slowly was an understatement. It took almost half an hour to get out to Nick's cruiser, with Skye clinging the whole way. By the time he had her buckled in, she closed her eyes and panted hard enough that he worried she was going to be sick.

The drive to his apartment was silent, aside from the gradual easing of Skye's panting. When they pulled into the fenced parking lot alongside the building, Skye had finally stopped gasping for breath, and was staring at the brick apartment complex.

"Home sweet home," Nick announced, trying to keep himself upbeat.

"Your home," she countered, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'm going to feel guilty every minute I'm there, until I can stop imposing."

Nick scowled at Skye, though he was not sure she even noticed. "I invited you. Actually, I pretty much kidnapped and forced you to come along. You shouldn't feel guilty for something I made you do."

"Welcome to my life," she said softly. "Pretty much every day is feeling guilty either for something someone else did, or for something I think I should have done. The drugs were a nice escape from that."

Nick stared at her a long time, wishing he had some idea what to say. Finally, he resorted to honesty. "Punishing yourself isn't ever going to make everything right."

"No, but it'll make me feel like I'm trying."

"That's stupid, and you know it. Let's revise my plan. You're staying with me until you're past this self-destructive nonsense, and ready to move on with your life."

Skye turned slowly to look at him emotionlessly. "Just because you aren't trying to destroy yourself, doesn't mean you're handling things any better than I am. You're just better at lying to yourself."

"Absolute professional at lying to myself," he answered, smiling broadly. "Happy to teach classes on it, if that's what it's going to take. I'll have slides and handouts. You ready to go in, or do you want to sit here moping a little longer?"

"You won't like my answer."

"Okay, second try. You're getting your tail up off that seat, and we're going upstairs, so I can start fixing dinner. We're getting something warm in your stomach."

Skye winced and gagged. "The last thing I want right now is food. Do you have whiskey?"

"When was your last meal, other than some Jell-O in the hospital?"

"I don't want to say."

"Hot meal it is," he told her, walking across the divider between the seats and over her to the door handle. Opening the door and doing his best to ignore the bitter winds that came in, bringing snow and sleet with them, he helped Skye with her seatbelt. "You feeling up to walking on your own this time?"

"Yeah, I can do that," she replied, sliding down off the seat to the floorboards. As soon as she came down on her hind paws, she collapsed, landing face down, arms and legs splayed. When she spoke again, the words were muffled by the floor mat. "Never mind. I'll take the help."

A part of Nick wanted to leave her on the floor, but he knew he could not do that to her, even if she had more than earned it. Hooking his arm under hers, he got her upright and slowly made his way to the apartment with her carrying no more than half of her own weight. He passed a few of the other animals living in the building on his way up, getting more than a few "I know what you're up to tonight" eyebrow waggles, which he did his best to ignore. Sometimes his fellow mammals disgusted him.

At long last, he reached his apartment and leaned Skye against the wall as he fished out his keys. He got the door open in no time, and found himself facing his mother, standing over near the front room's table.

"Oh good, I was getting worried," Marian told him, smiling warmly, as she leaned on her cane. "How is your friend doing?"

"About that," Nick began, then reached into the hall and helped Skye make it the last few steps inside, where he held her up as he closed the door. "We have a house guest for a little while."

Marian's smile faded to mild worry. She sniffed, and the remnants of the smile quickly turned into a deep frown. "She's filthy and smells of the streets, like Finnick did that one time you bailed him out of jail. Why is she staying here?"

Nick eased Skye down onto one of the chairs, and she kept her gaze down. "She's on some hard times and had nowhere else to go. You know me and strays."

Marian moved over to stand in front of Skye, whose head dipped even lower, if that were possible. Leaning near her, Nick's mother sniffed again, her brows crinkling together. After a moment, she looked down and stared at one of Skye's paws in her lap—the one Nick had begun washing, with its patch of off-white fur.

"Snow?" Marian demanded, standing up straight. "The bitch who killed you."

"Faked my death, but yes," he admitted, feeling a little guilty as Skye pulled her knees up under her chin, as if trying to roll up into a safe ball of fur. "Her name is actually Skye, and we're going to host her until—"

"Until she's not high anymore, or until she steals everything you own to pay for drugs?" Marian asked, leaning to get a look at Skye's eyes. "I don't want a junkie staying here. I'm not okay with this."

"Good thing it's not your choice," he told her, as he went to another chair and hung his coat on it. "Skye will be with us until she's back on her paws. End of discussion."

Marian grumbled, but nodded. Reaching over to the table, she picked up a magazine she had likely been reading before Nick got home. She then turned back to Skye. "If you're staying here, we need to settle some ground rules."

Gingerly raising her muzzle and gaze, Skye looked up at Marian. "Yes?"

With speed Nick had not expected, Marian swatted Skye on the bridge of the nose with the now rolled-up magazine. "You are not forgiven for what you did. You try to lay claim to Nicky like the last vixen, and a smack on the nose is the least you'll get."

Skye blinked and rubbed at her nose. "Don't do that again! I'm a trained agent, and could kill you on reflexes alone!"

Despite Nick waving to get both of their attentions, Marian swatted Skye's nose one more time. "Do we understand each other?"

"Mom!" Nick snapped, but no one looked his way.

"I understand," Skye answered, sounding absolutely miserable. "I'm not trying to replace anyone here, least of all Judy."

Yet another sharp smack left Skye curled up into a ball, trying to shield her face.

"You don't get to speak about her, unless asked," warned Marian, waving the magazine like a weapon. "You crushed that poor thing with your nonsense. Nick may have given you a second chance, but don't expect me to. You'll pull your weight around here, and behave. If you don't, I'll put you out on the street, whether Nick likes it or not. I've half a mind to put him out of his own home for a night as a lesson about bringing you here."

Nick nervously glanced between the two as Skye seemed to weigh her options for replying.

Finally, Skye uncurled and gave a very small nod. "It's a deal. I'll do what I can. Once I'm better, I'll help in any possible way to make sure I'm pulling my weight."

"About that," Marian said, whiskers twitching. "You look far more than half-starved. Nicky, I started a pot of soup for dinner, since I didn't know when you'd be back. There's more than enough for both of you. Once she's cleaned up, you two sit down and eat. I've still got leftovers from last night, so don't argue with me."

Nick let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. The tension between his mother and Skye was almost visible in the air, though Skye relenting and submitting to Marian was a good sign. He really could not be sure that he could have kept them from killing each other, had they both tried to stand their ground.

"We'll get you cleaned up and fed, Skye," Nick said, motioning down the hall. "Bathroom's at the end on the right. I'm not sure there's enough furpoo to ever get all the dirt out of your fur, but it's worth a try. Take your time, though I can warn you the water only stays warm for about thirty minutes."

Skye watched Marian warily, and inched off of the chair. She managed to make it past Nick and into the beginning of the hall before her body shook again, and she collapsed. Writhing, Skye scratched at her arms, trembling as though both freezing and feeling something under her skin.

Nick rushed to her side, grabbing both of her wrists to stop her from scratching. Even in the few seconds before he got there, she had left bleeding lines in several spots above her elbows. "What's going on, Skye?"

"Withdrawals," she managed to gasp, her jaw clenched. "Feels like there's bugs in my fur."

"Can you walk?" Nick asked, as the trembling stopped.

"Doubt it," replied Skye, looking disgusted with herself. "Let me sleep it off. I'm too much trouble for you. Help me slide to the kitchen floor, so I'm out of your way."

Nick pulled Skye to a seated position, and got a better look at her arms. Examining the fresh scratches, he could see mostly-healed ones under those. She had gone through at least a fraction of the withdrawals previously in recent days. "No, I'm not leaving you on the floor, stinking of piss and vomit."

"Go ahead and do it," Marian replied, crossing her arms. "We had a funeral for you because of her. Maybe sleeping in her own filth is a good start. It might teach her something."

"Not helping, mom," Nick warned, grunting as he got Skye back onto her paws from the floor, which was an awkward lift, even if she was not terribly heavy. At a guess, she weighed only a little more than Judy, which was disturbing, given the size differences. "I'm going to go clean her up, and we're going to eat dinner together. All three of us. I want whatever this is behind us before bed tonight. Yes, she killed me. Judy and I got over it, so you can, too." Both vixens looked at Nick with a touch of shock. "What?"

"You're going to go clean her up," his mother repeated back at him. "Tread carefully, Nicky. You're crossing a lot of lines that won't be easy to explain later. Are you doing this for her, or because you're lonely? Think about your decisions."

"And you need to stop treating me like I'm ten," Nick snapped, helping Skye slowly down the hall. "If you think I'm not mature enough to help a friend without misbehaving, I'm clearly not ready to be a cop, let alone a part-time ZBI agent."

Ignoring some vague apologies from his mother, Nick carried Skye into the bathroom and kicked the door closed behind them. He eased her down onto the small rug in the middle of the bathroom, meant to help soak up water from everyone's hind paws. Grabbing a few old towels from the cabinet, he then turned on the shower water to get it warming up. With everything almost ready, he checked the furpoo bottle, finding it more than half full, which he hoped was enough.

"No tub?" Skye asked, twisting to look into the shower from where she lay. "I can probably sit under the spray and make it work."

"I wasn't exaggerating," Nick answered, stripping down to his boxers, as Skye watched him with clear confusion. "I'm going to get you cleaned up. Having you drown in my shower isn't exactly helping anyone. There'd be a lot of paperwork."

"I don't know if that's strictly true. More than a few mammals wouldn't mind if I drowned. Nick, you don't need to do this."

"And you need to stop trying to tell me what to do. Right now, you're about as helpless as a newborn. Let's get this done with, as neither of us is going to be thrilled about it. Are you refusing my help because you don't want it, or because your ego won't allow it? If you really don't want my help, I won't."

"Entirely my ego," Skye admitted, fumbling for the buttons on her ragged shirt. "I should accept any help I can get, but I don't feel right doing it."

Nick set to undressing Skye, peeling off the clothes that had gotten so tangled and filthy that they took some of her fur off with them. He tried not to think about the fact that she was still wearing the same outfit she had to court, or that he was removing a vixen's shirt. The little voice in his head sounded like it was having a meltdown when he got to sliding off her pants and underwear. Any sense of "sexiness" to the situation was easily ignored, given that he could see sores through her fur in many places, where weeks of dirt trapped in her fur had begun to harm the skin.

"We're going to move now," Nick told her, sliding his arms under her knees and back. "The water's probably going to sting pretty badly at first. I've got it as cool as will still get you clean."

Skye tensed and nodded. "Okay. And Nick…"

"Yes?" he asked, freezing before lifting her. He had almost not noticed that his position left his muzzle right across her chest.

"Thank you," she said, as though the words were a struggle for her. "I don't deserve this level of kindness. I'm really not used to it."

"Paying it forward, Snowball," he teased, hoisting her onto her paws, then steadying her against himself.

He helped her into the shower and took the pawheld sprayer. Slowly, he began guiding it over her fur, as she used the wall to support herself. The brown water running off her was almost hypnotic, as the muddy tones faded rapidly back toward ivory. He used the coloration to determine when to move on from each spot, slowly moving back across the arch of her back, until he reached her tail. Working down the back of her legs was a bit less practical, but he did what he could.

"Spin around. Once we've got you looking like the right breed again, we can worry about soaps," Nick told her, eyeing his paws. The fur on both of his arms was several shades darker than when he started. How she had managed to get so dirty baffled him. "Even down to this temperature, we've got no more than fifteen or twenty minutes of warm water left. I know you like the cold, but I don't."

Skye laughed, though it sounded as though she were on the verge of tears. "Are you really sure you want me to turn around in here?"

"Pretty sure. Why?"

Skye kept one paw on the wall to steady herself, and turned around. He had not realized just how little room there was in the small shower. It was one thing to have her tail almost against his legs, but with her facing him, he was nose-to-nose with her, and her nakedness. It was only worsened by the fact that she was soaked, accentuating both her natural body shape, and how thin she had become.

Nick opted to focus on how unhealthy Skye looked, and found that he was fine. There was almost no mental struggle at all. Smiling, he shrugged and began hosing down her front side. When he got to using furpoo on her, things got a bit more difficult for him, as rubbing sudsy soap into a vixen's fur was about as close as he got to a viable fantasy, but he got through that quickly, and without lingering in either look or touch. Soon enough, she was as clean as he could get without going over her whole body with a fur brush, and a rag to rub the dirt out of spots that were hard to reach, like between fingers, toes, and the base of her tail.

"That's starting to get really cold, and I'm not even the one under the spray," he noted, aiming the water away from Skye. "I'm going to shut it off and let the driers try to warm us back up. You feel like I mostly got it all?"

Skye leaned against the wall and gingerly touched her upper chest, feeling at the fur there. "You did. I almost forgot what it feels like to be clean. I can't say I've ever had someone else bathe me before, other than… No, not really anyone."

Nick stopped with his paw on the shower's knob. Turning off the spray, he looked back at Skye. "Harry?"

"Yes," she answered, looking distant. "Slave for years. He bathed me, before things got complicated. We were both kits back then, but it feels like a lifetime ago."

Nick said nothing, as he got out of the shower and toweled off. He handed Skye a second towel, and she did what she could to dry herself, without leaving the safety of the shower's corner. Reaching back, he flicked on the fur driers, filling the room with dry warm air, which was sucked out a vent on the ceiling. With those going, he leaned into the shower and helped Skye out, sitting her down on the closed toilet, while he sat back against the sink. Soon, the room became misty as moisture began being pulled out of their fur, resulting in both of them fluffing rapidly.

"I think I finally understand," Skye said out of the blue, as they were nearing fully-dried. She lifted one of her hind paws, scowling at two broken claws.

"Understand what?" Nick asked her. After he was certain his fur was sufficiently dry, he slid on his pants. He handed her the shirt he had worn into the bathroom, to keep her from even considering wearing the filthy remnants of clothing she had been in.

Skye slid the shirt over her head, and the bottom hem came down well below her hips. "I understand why you and Judy are perfect for each other."

"Do enlighten me, Agent Snow. If it needs to wait for a projector and presentations, we can do this another time."

"No, no slides for this one," she replied, smiling. "Judy is one of the nicest animals I've ever met. That kind heart will hurt her in life, but it's endearing. She loves life, and makes everyone around her happier for it. At first, I thought that was such a contrast with you, that there was no chance of you two staying together, without even getting into the matters of species or predator versus prey."

"And now?"

"You're better at hiding it. She loves the world and each new day. You love your fellow animals, even if you don't want to admit it. You hide it, unless someone's in your inner circle. You both have too much love to give. Sharing it with each other is only natural. I shouldn't have ever doubted."

"Oh, doubt away," he told her, chuckling. "I doubt it myself more than I care to admit. Love her to death, but I know this isn't easy on anyone, even before the long distance thing. How are you holding up with your own separation?"

Skye shook her head. "Scared. Really more scared for myself, if he doesn't come back, than I am for him. I know he'll be all right. Until he proves me wrong, I'm going to stubbornly think he's fine, and I need to muddle through."

Nick patted his fur, verifying it was almost completely dry. "I'll ask the question again, now that we aren't all lying to ourselves. What is it between you two?"

"I wish I could answer that, Nick. Maybe nothing. We'll see when he gets back, assuming he doesn't run screaming when he sees how bad off I am. I made a mess of things without him around."

"And if you had your choice of how that turns out?"

Skye smiled slightly, cocking her head. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up by imagining anything. I just want my friend back. Now, are you going to help me to the couch, or do I need to crawl?"

"Dinner first, but with regard to the sleeping arrangements—" Nick began, then hesitated, realizing he had not quite thought things through. "Mom likes the couch, no matter how much I push her to take the bed. That's all hers."

"I'll sleep on the floor. Anything's better than where I've been lately. Hell, I'll take the shower floor if I have to."

"No, not a chance. The only open spaces are the chairs in the front room, and the floor there. I will not leave you and mom alone in the same room, mostly for your sake. You're getting the bed. It may smell a bit like bunnies, though."

"I'm remarkably okay with that and equally unsurprised, Nick. Where are you sleeping, though?"

Nick pointed vaguely toward the front room. "One of the chairs isn't awful to sleep in. I got used to it when I was fostering the kits from the south."

"If you won't let me sleep on the floor in the front room, can I at least have the floor in the hall, or your room? You should keep the bed."

The argument was rational, but Nick did not really want to follow that thought to its logical conclusion: His mother would assume far more than he wanted her to.

"Floor, but only on the side closest to the door," he offered. "The door stays open, too. Damn, this feels like my teenage years again."

Skye's eye sparkled with amusement—something he was happy to see, after her recent ordeals. "This feels like how I always imagined Zootopian sleepovers. Is that how Judy's parents treated you the first time you went over there?"

"No, but they probably should have. We had some unresolved feelings, even back then, and it almost got us in all kinds of romantic trouble. Let's just say I didn't stay on the floor long," he answered, clearing his throat. "Let's go."

Helping Skye stand, Nick kept part of her weight on him, as he opened the door and started back down the hall and into the kitchen. There, he got her situated on a chair, and fetched the steaming soup his mother had put on. As soon as he smelled the aroma, he realized he had not eaten all day, unless he counted coffee.

Throughout the meal, Nick wondered at his mother's absence, though he could hear her in the front room. She seemed to be pointedly avoiding them, not that he entirely blamed her. He was uncomfortable enough for both of them. Any thought of her vanished when Skye began vomiting within a minute of taking her first spoonful of soup. They ended up both sitting on the floor, with Skye hugging a small trash can, while Nick held her whiskers out of the way. Once she recovered, Nick fed her a small bit more, and the process repeated itself. In the end, Nick was reasonably sure she had kept down more than she had lost, giving him some sense of forward momentum. Through it all, Skye looked so ashamed that Nick could not even be mad at her.

At long last, Nick cleaned up the area, putting away the extra soup—which he intended to force down Skye's throat later, if needed—and then helped Skye stand. This time, he carried her toward the bedroom, but stopped as he felt eyes watching him.

Turning, Nick found his mother standing at the front end of the hall, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him with open disappointment. Nick wanted to tell her she was wrong about Skye, and to argue that he could make his own life decisions, but all he could see was the day she had given him that same disappointed glare when he had brought Finnick home.

 _I'm not having that argument again about another friend_ , he told himself, continuing into the bedroom. There, he sat Skye down on the floor, and draped a heavy blanket over her. Going to the closet, he fetched a pillow for her, which he barely managed to slide under her head before she was asleep.

Smiling at the ease of handling her, compared to the bunny kits, Nick almost closed the bedroom door, but caught himself. Opening it the rest of the way, he turned out the light and slid onto the bed. He closed his eyes and drifted off a bit easier than he had in recent days.

Sometime later, Nick woke up to a noise he did not recognize. He blinked, trying to figure out what time it was, then realized he was hearing someone moving around on the floor. Sliding to the edge of the bed, he checked on Skye, and found that she was still asleep, but twitching violently. She had already kicked off the blanket, but was curled up in a ball, shivering in-between the bouts of muscle spasms.

Nick hopped down off the bed and shook Skye awake, barely managing to catch her paw before she clawed his face. They sat there for several seconds, as Skye panted and her initial panic faded to a confused sleepiness.

"You were trembling and scratching," he told her, reaching for the blanket. He stopped when he realized he could see and smell blood on her arms from her claws. "I'm going to be bandaging half your upper body if you keep that up."

"C-can't…stop…stop shivering," she managed to whisper. "Was baking…m-minutes ago. F-freezing n-now."

"Oh, yeah, you're going to have a lovely day or two," he answered, grinning despite the misery Skye seemed to be going through. "Helped a few too many mammals through this over the years. Right now, my priority is getting you to stop tearing at your arms."

"I…I'll try."

Sighing, Nick lay down on the floor beside her, and put his arms around her. He pulled her close, but with the blanket between them, holding her much the same way he had their first night in Katrina's home. The only real difference—besides more clothing and the blanket separation—was that this time, he kept her arms loosely trapped, so he would feel if she began clawing at herself.

"Just for now," he said near Skye's ear, but she was already asleep again, this time more peacefully. "Don't make me regret this. We're trimming your claws tomorrow, for both of our sakes."

Nick went to sleep gradually, barely reaching deep sleep before dawn. When he did wake, Skye was still in his arms, but the door to the room was closed. Sniffing, he smelled his mother having come by recently. Even though he knew he had done nothing wrong, Nick's ears flattened back in embarrassment, and would not go back up no matter how he tried for more than an hour.


	18. Chapter 9-4

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.4 – The World Can Change

 **October 22** **nd** **, Friday Afternoon – ZPD Precinct One**

"Police abuse!" shouted the weasel Nick was escorting into the precinct. "Police brutality! Preds beating up on prey!"

"You are a predator, idiot," Nick reminded the smaller mammal, as he used his larger size to slide the weasel's paws across the floor toward prisoner intake. "Also, arresting you doesn't qualify as brutality. If I went any easier on you, I'd be buying you a drink and fluffing your pillow."

Twisting around the way only a weasel or ferret could, the prisoner asked, "Hey, could we go with that? Bit parched."

Nick rolled his eyes and kept going right past the front desk, though he gave Clawhauser a smile and nod in passing, as he did every time he came through, if there was not enough time to stop and talk. He got as far as the guarded door into processing, when a booming voice from overhead brought him to a stop.

"Wilde! My office, once you're done with him," Bogo shouted.

"They do listen!" exclaimed the weasel happily. "You're going to jail, fox! You can let me go now…"

"Another complainer?" asked Delgato, as Nick reached the door. "Fourth this week. Usually it's just the ones filing complaints about you writing them a speeding ticket."

Nick picked up the weasel and handed him over to Stan. "Nah, that's just Flash. Besides, Clawhauser likes having Flash stop by, because he's never in a hurry to go anywhere else. They talk for hours, though they don't get really far in the conversation. This one's trying the 'cops beat me' angle."

Delgato lifted the weasel up to eye-level. "You look fine to me. Where'd the big bad fox hit you? Do I need to go get the doll so you can show me?"

Nick turned over his initial report of the run-in with the weasel and his attempts to sell stolen goods to Nick—in uniform, in the cruiser, while trying to manage a speed trap—and headed back out toward the main room. He hesitated, eyeing the coffee machine, before sighing and staring up the stairs at Bogo's office. Lately, it had become a crapshoot as to whether he was going to be yelled at or praised. One glance toward Clawhauser's desk let him know Benji was making notes on paper—he was figuring the odds of yelling versus praise, which meant there was another betting pool going.

Slinking his way up the stairs, he barely managed to keep his tail from dragging. It was a habit which was getting outdated, what with how many things he had apparently done _right_ in the last few months, but after a lifetime of being a screw-up, it was a habit he could not quite drop. The assumption was always that he was in trouble.

Once he reached the second floor, Nick was surprised by a familiar mammal's scent. The city's lead attorney was an antelope who rarely came by the precinct. The only time Nick could remember him even setting hoof in the place was after he led the prosecution against Skye the month before. If he was stopping by Bogo's office, it meant a big case was coming their way. That was a bit of reassurance that he was not in trouble, and Nick managed to get a bit of spring back into his step as he reached Bogo's closed door and knocked.

"Come in," Bogo called out.

Nick slid inside, and closed the door behind him, only to freeze as he realized he was not alone with Bogo, as the visitor had not yet left. Seated on the second chair in front of Bogo's desk was the antelope from city hall, who watched Nick suspiciously.

"Am I interrupting?" Nick asked, unsure what to do. Both mammals motioned toward the empty seat, making him second-guess his initial impression that he was in trouble. "No matter what the weasel said—"

"Weasel?" asked the antelope, giving Bogo a confused look. "Chief, I take it you haven't spoken with him yet? I'd hoped this was a resolution, not a first step."

Bogo pointed at the empty chair a bit more forcefully, and Nick climbed up onto it. "Mister Buckley, can I call you Bruce?"

"No. Mister Buckley is fine," the antelope told him, folding his hooves in his lap.

"Right, so Bruce, we have a problem with expectations here," Bogo said pleasantly, but Nick recognized the smile as the same one the chief always used when imagining stomping someone to death. "Three hours ago, you told me to speak with Officer Wilde, and I told you he was in the field. He's just arrived here now, and you expect it's already done. I recommend you relax, sit back, and wait, unless you want to run this meeting."

"I…do not," Bruce Buckley replied, clearing his throat.

"Splendid." Bogo sat back in his chair, making it creak loudly. Next, his attention shifted to Nick. "Wilde, am I to understand you have a houseguest?"

"My mother has been staying with me since she got sick. I canceled the contract with the assisted living complex to ensure she had someone with her—"

"Wilde, knock it off. I've gotten wise to your distraction tactics. We're talking about Skye. Is she staying with you?"

Nick wanted to shrink back under the anger he felt from Bruce, but instead forced himself to puff up his chest. "She is, sir. Had nowhere else to go."

"We all know that's nonsense," the antelope interjected. "The city has plenty of shelters and assistance for mammals in need. I find it beyond reprehensible that a ZPD officer is willingly sheltering a convicted criminal. Your chief seems to think it doesn't warrant your dismissal, but I'm not certain I agree."

"My… Wait, what?" Nick cut in, looking frantically between the two. "I took in a friend. That doesn't break any regulations."

Buckley pulled a notepad from a briefcase alongside his chair. "Conduct unbecoming of an officer covers merely being seen with criminals. You're living with a known traitor to the city—"

"That's nonsense and you know it," Nick countered, more than a little disappointed by Bogo's lack of argument. "She settled your charges. She was found innocent and released to the general public, with no guilty plea or prison term. No charges, no traitor."

"Fine, let's dumb it down for the fox, then," Bruce said, turning the page of his notebook.

"Watch your tone, Bruce," warned Bogo, leaning forward enough that he could have reached out and grabbed the antelope, which seemed to be the threat he wanted lingering. "Keep this civil, or I will intervene. I gave you leeway. Don't make me take it back."

The antelope swallowed hard. "Office Wilde is allowing a known drug user and possible prostitute into his home. Does the ZPD approve of that?"

Bogo's eye narrowed, and he looked to Nick for answers.

"She's recovering from the drugs," Nick told them both. "I won't allow her to stay if she uses. She hasn't touched anything since she arrived. As for… Wait a second. How do you know any of that?"

Bruce closed his notebook. "We have informants, too, officer."

Nick and Bogo stared at each other a few seconds, and Nick hoped his boss saw the plea in his gaze. Thankfully, the message seemed to get through, and Bogo huffed before turning back to Buckley.

"Answer his question, or this investigation is over," Bogo told the attorney. "You can keep your source's name anonymous, but I want to know how this came about. You seem to be admitting to a huge breach of trust. Are you spying on my officers?"

Flicking his head—a nervous habit for many of the deer and horses Nick had met—Bruce clenched his jaw and kept quiet for a minute. Eventually, he relented and eyed his notebook. "The mayor wanted to see Skye pay for getting involved in the war efforts without approval from the government. We paid several of the homeless shelters to advise us if she came by."

Nick blinked a few times at the implications. "You paid the shelters? Public funds went to tracking a mammal who was found innocent of all felonies? That's like coordinating city resources against someone with a parking ticket."

"Yes, we did, because it's in the public's interest," Buckley told them both. Nick could see the tension growing in Bogo's posture, but he kept his hooves clasped together. "No crime in tracking those who have shown a propensity for breaking the laws."

"Are you insane?" Nick demanded, sliding off the chair so he could pace between Bruce and Bogo's desk. "You demanded the judge put her in prison for trying to save the city. When he didn't, you had her tracked, but didn't do anything when she began to slip into desperation?"

"That's not the city's job to resolve," Buckley insisted.

"No, it wouldn't be, if you were just tracking her." Jumping back up onto his chair, Nick leapt onto Bogo's desk, so he was above eye level with the antelope and harder to ignore. "She was turned away from every shelter in this city, and didn't know why. Did you pay them to report, or did you encourage them to get rid of her? What exactly did you tell the shelters about her?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "That would be a criminal offense to endanger a resident of this city, Wilde. Are you accusing me?"

"Not yet. If I find that you've put a mammal at risk just to stroke your ego, I will, once I have enough evidence to lock you up alongside Bellwether for the rest of your life. Hating her is one thing, but forcing any animal to live on the streets and survive on the false kindness of others is something entirely different. The instant I have evidence that you are indirectly responsible for her drug use, or anything else she did—or was done to her—I'll come at you with the full force of the ZPD."

Buckley looked past Nick to Bogo. "Chief, are you intending to reign in your officer, or are you going to let him speak to me this way?"

"I'll allow it," Bogo replied gruffly. "Let me settle your next question. I will back Wilde, if there's even a hint that you did these things, or were complacent in them happening. I have no love for Skye, but if you did this to her, I will be standing beside Wilde when he cuffs you. Zootopia doesn't have capital punishment, and finding an indirect way to have her killed is no different in my mind. Now, are we going to continue this conversation, or have we reached an impasse?"

"I believe we've both made our points," Bruce told Bogo, eyeing Nick angrily. "As far as city hall is concerned, Skye has shown her true colors. She has contributed to starting a war with an enemy we hoped to ignore, who wants to see the prey of the city enslaved. Wilde might not understand that, but city hall does. We expect that the ZPD will do their jobs, as soon as she slips up again."

"Good thing she has someone to help her get her life back on track," Nick told Bruce. "No one other than the Internal Affairs division has any right to investigate an officer in good standing. Right now, you're admitting to breaking a half dozen laws, and if you come anywhere near my family, I'll consider that a clear threat to our wellbeing and respond accordingly. I am allowed to defend myself and my household against clear threats, regardless of whether it's from a burglar or the city attorney."

Buckley stared at Nick, as though daring him to do what he had said he would. Slowly, he closed his notebook, and set it aside. "Said like a true predator. She isn't your family, Wilde. No matter what you do for her, she's an Ursian. She always will be. They aren't like us. Maybe not like my people. I'm starting to question yours. Maybe we should ship more of our dangerous predators to the south, as a matter of public safety."

Nick held his ground, and finally Bruce got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked shut, Nick began to relax, and realized he was standing on Bogo's desk.

"Before you get your filthy paws off my once-clean desk," Bogo said, bringing a folder up onto the desk near Nick. "This was supposed to be shared with the mayor's office, but Bruce left a little too quickly. I'll send it by mail with the wrong zipcode, and he should get it in a week or so. You, I wanted aware of it right away."

"Sir, are we okay with regard to Skye? Mister Buckley seems rather convinced this is going to turn into a war between predator and prey."

Bogo spread his hooves in a gesture of uncertainty. "Who's to say? Can I ask a personal question before I give you a straight answer?"

"Of course, sir. Ask anything."

"Why are you protecting her, Wilde?"

Nick's shoulders sank. "She needs me, chief. She needs a family right now."

"That's not your job. You didn't sign up to be a social worker. She needs a detox center, not an officer's couch."

"Sir," Nick began again, softening his tone to sound more pleading. "You heard for yourself that any city resources are being denied to her. I can't throw her out, or she'll die this winter, if she even lives that long. One month in, she was desperate enough to let animals hurt her, if it got her shelter. Imagine how bad it'll be by the new year."

"Not good enough, Wilde. Why are _you_ helping her?"

"I don't know, sir. Someone has to."

"Try again. I want a real answer, or I will not support you. If you can explain it to me, I'll shield you from city hall. You know I'll stand between my officers and politics, but I need to know what I'm defending."

Nick swallowed and looked down at his paws. He had not given this enough thought to know the answer himself, despite knowing it was the same question his mother struggled with. "She's sort of family, chief. Not blood, but still family. She doesn't have anyone else, and thinks she's tougher than she is. She blames herself for losing Judy and Harry, and is punishing herself for it far more than she deserves."

"This is Finnick all over again, isn't it, Wilde?"

"It is, sir. I saved Finnick when no one else would. He may not be well-adjusted, but he's alive and healthy. Skye deserves that much. I'm not trying to put her into government office or back in the ZBI, but I don't want to find her body during a patrol. I'd never forgive myself. It doesn't need to be my fault for me to feel like I could have prevented it. Putting up with her as a houseguest for a short while isn't asking a lot."

Bogo tapped his hooves on the desk, then shrugged. "Very well. I'll defend you against city hall. I won't claim to understand your need to grow your family by unconventional means, but this is Zootopia. You're dating a bunny, for herd's sake. I can't very well tell you to go have your own kits to have a family of your own. Skye's your sister as far as you're concerned, so I'll treat this as an officer trying to save family from drug addiction and whatnot. The city does not consider matters of family to fall under the conduct unbecoming rules. Do what you need to do, Wilde."

Nick thanked Bogo, then climbed down off the desk. He headed for the door, but stopped when Bogo spoke up again.

"Wilde," Bogo said softly, raising the folder he had started to give Nick a moment earlier. "Take this with you. Also, if you upset Officer Hopps with any of the nonsense we discussed today, I'll let her use the fox-shaped targets at the shooting range. That's all. Dismissed."

Nick took the large folder, holding it to his chest to keep it from flapping around as he made his way through the precinct to the locker room. There, he changed into street clothes, and sat down on one of the benches with the yellowed folder, stuffed with pages. He did one more check around him—finding that the locker room was all but empty so late on a Friday, aside from the showers.

Opening the folder, Nick found that he was in possession of a military report. Much of it was abbreviated in ways he did not understand, and would need to have clarified by one of his friends who had been in the forces for a while. Some of the text was rather clear in its intent. One particular report stood apart from the others, consisting of a single page with a photo taped to the bottom. From what he could tell, it had been written by some agent hidden away in Ursian lands, and the ZBI logo stamped over the photo all but confirmed it.

 _The northernmost districts—eighteen, fourteen, and nine—have declared their independence from Ursian rule, after being unified under a new leader. Unlike previous ones, this warlord has no proven record of violence. We are unsure at this time if she intends to continue previous rulers' policies. Consider her dangerous, until we learn more. Rumors here imply that she is disallowing military movement through her districts, which should greatly reduce any chance of Ursian incursion into Zootopian lands._

 _Agent "J.W." Crimson_

Nick reread the text a few times, trying to find something more to it, but it felt like little more than rumor, and the standard absurdity of ZBI code names did little to add seriousness to the information. Why Bogo had kept it secret was beyond him. He finally gave up on the text and looked down at the photo, and immediately dropped the whole rest of the folder's contents onto the floor.

The picture was clearly taken by someone hidden from view, as buildings partially blocked the frame. Centered was a tigress, dressed in finery and surrounded by soldiers acting as escort. The sender of the information might not know her, but Nick certainly did.

"Katrina?" he mumbled, running his finger pads over the photo. "How are you alive?"

Nick began searching the picture for other clues, hoping to find Judy or Harry. Instead, he stopped when he found another mammal barely visible where the buildings began to block the view. Staring straight at the camera—as though ready to run down the photographer—was Markus Fangmeyer. All Nick could see of him was his intense glare, one leg forward mid-stride, and the pistol on his hip. He was no prisoner.

Laughing with joy, Nick pulled the page to his chest. His lost friend had been alive, at least.

"You okay, Wilde?" asked someone behind Nick, and he hurriedly grabbed at the fallen pages, shoving them back into the folder. "You sounded hysterical."

"Sorry, got some good news for once," Nick replied, turning around on the bench. As he did, he winced and clamped his eyes shut when he realized that he was at groin-level with Officer Oats, who had apparently just stepped out of the shower. The horse had his towel over his shoulder, and was prancing about naked, as he had a tendency to do when the locker room was not crowded. "Could you holster or sheath that thing? You're making me feel inadequate."

"Sorry, sorry," the other officer told him, and Nick heard the towel get tied off. "You're safe now. I always forget how insecure you little guys are sometimes."

"Very funny," Nick replied, opening his eyes again as Oats clomped to his locker on the far end of the locker room. "Wait. What do you mean 'little guys'? Is that a height joke? Please tell me that's a height joke. Have the wolves been lying about me again? You know they're just jealous, right?"

"G'night, Wilde," Oats called out. "Have a nice weekend."

Grumbling, Nick shoved the pages back into the folder. Pulling on his winter coat, he clasped the folder to his chest and hurried out of the precinct, as though someone might take the new-found information from him. He barely even paused to say goodbye to Clawhauser, before rushing out to his cruiser. Within minutes, he was racing home, fully intending to read the whole folder that night, once he had ensured his mother and Skye had eaten something.

Twenty minutes later, Nick pulled the cruiser into the parking lot, and headed up to his apartment. He was practically skipping as he reached the door, and opened his mouth to give the others his good news as he entered, though the words were lost as he realized his mother was lying on the couch, and Skye was standing over her, holding Marian's oxygen mask over her muzzle.

"What's going on?" Nick asked, dropping the folder to the floor, forgotten.

"Nothing much, now," Skye said over her shoulder, sounding out of breath herself. Backing her up, Marian raised one paw to gesture reassuringly. "She had another bout. Couldn't breathe. I found her before it triggered a heart attack. Her blood pressure is almost back to normal again. How often is this happening?"

"Every few weeks," Marian wheezed, her words muffled by the mask. "I'm fine. Please stop touching me."

Skye motioned for Nick to come over, and traded places with him once he was beside the couch. "Nick, if I wasn't here…"

"I'd be fine without you anywhere near this apartment," Marian snapped, eyes narrowing as she watched Skye. "Go make yourself useful elsewhere."

Nick gave Skye a worried look, but she seemed entirely unfazed by the mean comments. She turned on one heel and headed into the kitchen, where Nick could smell something beginning to burn. If he had to guess, Skye had been preparing food when Marian had collapsed. He was lucky she had been able to help.

"Mom, you need to ease up on her. She's trying to help you."

Marian growled, then coughed. "I don't need help from her, Nicky. I want her gone."

"Right now, you'd be gone if she wasn't here. Yes, she hurt me. I'm fine. Please stop with the hating on her. She's trying to do right by us."

Reaching up, his mother caught one of his paws and held it surprisingly firmly. "Nick, she's trying, but I don't trust her. She's trying to replace Judy, and I worry about you making a mistake you can't recover from. Judy's the best thing you've had in your life—"

"Then stop worrying," he assured her, putting his nose to the tip of her oxygen mask. "I love Judy. No one's replacing her. I can't say that any more clearly. Skye is a friend, and she's here to help and be helped. You owe her an apology."

"I will _not_ apologize to that bitch."

Nick sighed and put one ear to his mother's chest, verifying her breathing. Slowly, he removed the mask, and waited as she steadied her breathing rate. "What will it take for her to make things right?"

"Nicky, you don't understand," his mother insisted, clinging to his paw that much tighter. "I saw what it did to you when your father left. Don't make a mistake that'll make Judy leave. I know you love her, but loneliness can make you do stupid things. You won't ever recover if she comes back and leaves you."

"I'm well aware." Nick kissed her forehead. "Dad was an idiot. I'm just dumb. Worlds of difference. I don't plan to make those mistakes. I won't ever become father. Last year, you had every right to worry I'd die alone like he did, but now it's just a matter of waiting for Judy to come home. I'm not my father."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I die alone, but knowing I loved and was loved in return," he said, smiling despite how he felt. "Dad can't claim that much after the amount of hate I sent his way after he left."

"Be careful, Nicky."

"No, you be careful. I'm not losing you to some glorified asthma. Skye's actually trained for emergency medical care. Let her help. She can provide better care than I can."

"Then why can't she help herself?"

"We all go through stupid times in our lives. This is hers. She got a little lost, and I'm helping her find her way back. So long as she moves on from what happened, we'll forgive her the way you forgave me and Finnick."

"Finnick and I. You always were terrible with your wording. There are days I think I'll miss correcting you as much as I miss just being with you."

Nick caught his breath and forced himself not to cry. Reaching to the floor—and using the moment to compose himself—he grabbed his mother's small pawheld buzzer, which was meant to alert everyone in the area if she was having an episode. "Stop that. No one's dying here. I'm going to go help Skye cook before she lights the apartment on fire. Press the damned button if you feel it coming on again."

"That thing makes me feel like an elderly invalid."

"You're not an invalid," Nick assured her, winking. The glower he got in reply let him know the joke was appreciated, even if she did not want to admit it. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Nick hurried out of the main room, hoping to catch a moment's reprieve in the hall, before having to look calm when he reached Skye. Instead, he came around the corner and almost ran into Skye, who had her back to the wall, and was standing barely out of sight from the couch.

At his approach, Skye rubbed at tears of her own with the back of her paw. She pointed at her ears, Nick's mother, then to the bedroom.

Nick followed her, giving the kitchen a nervous glance in passing. Thankfully, the meal appeared to be under control, and he saw a timer set on the stove. They had almost ten minutes. It was one less thing for him to worry about, so he shoved his paws in his pockets and followed Skye into the bedroom. He tensed when she shut the door silently behind him.

"No means no," Nick told her, frowning.

"What? Oh, stop thinking that way," Skye chided. She held up both paws to silence him. "Your mother doesn't want me talking to you about her health. I wasn't willing to make that promise."

Nick stared at her, waiting for the bad news. "Spit it out."

Skye shook her head. "Things are declining. I barely managed to stop the attack, and I was standing right next to her when it happened. Nick, I don't know if I can stabilize her through more than one or two more of these, especially after comparing her vitals with those on her last few hospital reports."

"You've seen her hospital records?" Nick demanded, though he worked to keep his voice low. "Is this more ZBI bullshit? Stop investigating me."

Skye's eyes narrowed, and she walked over to the bed. Lifting the corner of the mattress, she pulled out the Manila envelope where he kept all of the pages from the journals, his mother's hospital reports, the notes he took, and detailed write-ups from Doug, who had made terribly little progress finding a cure.

"Don't think I don't know what these are," Skye berated him, then the anger faded rapidly as her paws began to shake. With care drawn from too much experience, she set the envelope down in a hurry, then dropped to a seated position as the tremors grew worse. This time, she got control over her body within a minute. Each episode was a little shorter, giving Nick hope. "Sorry about that. Timing is everything."

"If you're about to start lecturing me about taking the pages, don't bother," Nick replied, once he was certain Skye would not need him to help. "I regret nothing. Those pages could make all the difference in saving her life."

"I wasn't going to," she insisted. "You disobeyed an order. Fine. The order was there to make absolutely certain the pages never fell back into Ursian paws. You managed it. If I'd caught it before we left the south, we'd have argued about it. All I was going to say is that the decline is accelerating. Whoever you're working with on this, do they have leads?"

"Not really. My chemist doesn't have anything more than her lab work and these pages to go on. He says it could take another year or two at this rate. The hospital team has all the equipment to keep running tests, but it's slow-going."

"She won't have that long," Skye said, picking back up the sheets of paper. "I've been reading these, and you're jumping to a lot of conclusions. I think you may be off-track."

"When did you study genetics?"

Skye held up one of Nick's pawwritten pages. "Your math is wrong, all three times you did it. Right now, I've got more free time on my paws than I've had in my whole life, and your computer password is terrible. Half of the pages you marked as being related to the research they did into the condition is something entirely different, and I've started color-coding the original journal entries, though some of these are way beyond me. As for studying genetics, I was born in the south, and know about the condition, even if no one I knew ever got it. I've been learning about this condition while bouncing ideas off my own expert, who has dealt with far more of the animal biology end than a chemist."

"Your expert? Since when do you still have experts?"

"Since Milo began taking my calls again," she admitted. "He's helping how he can. I'd like to have your chemist talk with him, as he thinks between the two of them, they can at least slow this."

"No. Absolutely not. I don't want those two anywhere near each other. A mad scientist and a drug dealer are the last mammals I want working together."

"It's Doug, isn't it?" Skye asked, then held up a paw to stop him before he even had a chance to object. "I've read the case files. It was an educated guess."

"Then you understand why I don't want them together."

"Nick, do you want her to get better?"

Nick sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Of course I do. Go ahead. Whatever you think is safe."

"You sound almost like you trust me. Should I be concerned, Nick?"

"I already put a lot of faith in you, Skye," he told her. "Letting you into this house was not an easy thing. Not after all we were through and what you've gone through lately. This could go very poorly for me, and even with regard to letting Milo and Doug get together, I will take all the blame if that doesn't end well."

Skye got up off the floor and came to sit near him. He could feel her still shaking very slightly, but it was not visible anymore. "Nick, you can trust me. I'm putting no less faith in you right now not to hurt me. You've given me no reason to think you would, but I've been surprised a lot in recent weeks. Would it help if I offered you something of value?"

"No means no, Skye."

Nose twitching angrily, Skye threw her paws in the air. "That is not what I'm talking about! Why do you assume everything has to do with what's in your pants?"

"I don't, but I know it bothers you, so it's an easy way to torment you. If you're going to try offering me money, don't bother. Money won't help mom, and I'm fairly certain I have more of it than you."

"Not untrue. What I wanted to offer you as proof of trust was information. I was sworn to not tell anyone. The oath the city had me take about certain topics includes the acceptance that they can shoot me if I reveal information from it. I want to offer you something I've had to work hard not to tell you since we met, but now is the time."

"It better be pretty juicy gossip for all that secrecy. Besides, what does some old ZBI secret matter to me? I doubt there's anything you can possibly say that will matter to me as much saving my mother."

Skye squirmed a little and fidgeted. "Nick, twenty years ago, you lost your father."

"Twenty-three years ago, give or take a few months. I know I lost him. I was there. No secret."

"Twenty-three years ago, he left you," she corrected. "He died about twenty years ago. Correct?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure I want to talk about this."

Reaching up, Skye clasped both sides of Nick's muzzle. "Someone who knew him swore to me that your father regretted that decision the rest of his life."

Nick slapped Skye's paws away. "How dare you? Don't ever speak like you know my family again. That's too much, Skye."

"I'm not hypothesizing, Nick," she said forcefully. "He was known to one of our agents."

"This is nonsense, Skye."

"Possibly, but it's closer than you ever got to the truth before. I can't vouch for the information, but the person who told me knew your father and swore it to be true."

"Are you…" Nick shook his head in dismay at the absurdity of it all. "Are you saying my father was ZBI? Still, he's been dead twenty years. You haven't been in the city that long. You were just a kit when he died."

"Just like you died? A lot of animals attended your funeral. I would assume he did something similar. Besides, all of this is before my time, though I heard about him ten years ago. What I do know is he was some kind of ally or informant. That is what I'm offering you, Nick. Closure. The knowledge that your father loved you and your mother."

Nick's heart was pounding so hard it hurt, but he had to get more answers. "You're talking like this is past tense. Did something happen?"

"Rolen's father caught him," Skye explained. "My informant said that he died quickly, before things escalated between Rolen and the ZBI. I don't know more, or when."

"My father was in the south?" Nick asked, incredulously. "Let's get past the part where I don't believe anything you're saying and try to explain how absurd this is."

"He wasn't just in the south," she said, rolling her eyes at the idea, as though preposterous. "He was born and raised in the south. It's why your mother…and I'd guess, you…have canine lung. We all got vaccinated to it in the south, but he must have been a carrier. I'd actually never met anyone with the disease, because any canine has to get the vaccine before they turn ten. Unfortunately, it won't work on adults."

"I can't even wrap my mind around this."

Skye patted Nick's knee. "I know this isn't easy. I wish I could have delivered him back intact, but just knowing has to be some relief."

Nick held up one paw to stop Skye from talking. "I…I think I need some space. This isn't something I was ready to even consider. I might actually hate him even more for leaving us, lying to us, and still ending up dead."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Nick."

Standing up, Nick turned back to Skye, and bent down to kiss the top of her head. "You didn't. He did. Thank you for your honesty. I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head. You got something to keep you occupied?"

Skye nodded, though she seemed confused or lost in thought. "I do. There's a lot of material to go through in those pages you found. Some of it… I'll put what you need now together with notes. A lot of this won't be interesting right now, but I've got to get through all of it."

Nick barely listened, as he left the room and headed for the front of the apartment. He picked up the papers he had dropped and put his coat back on, initially ignoring his mother's confused stare. Once he had everything together, he turned to face Marian. The doubts about Skye's story were too much for him to ignore.

"Mom, I need to get out for a few minutes," he told her, getting a tired nod in reply. "Before I go, can I ask you something kind of strange?"

"If I refused now, I've waited far too long," Marian answered, one paw to her head—the after effects of her episodes usually left her with a migraine for a few hours. "I'm in no shape to fight. Ask away."

"When dad died, that was how long ago?"

"You were at the funeral, too. Twenty years, maybe a few months less. This is particularly morbid. I thought you wanted to avoid talking about anything related to anyone passing."

Nick did feel uneasy about the topic, but he had to know. "I barely remember it. Did you… Was it open casket?"

"Even I'm a little uncomfortable about this, Nicky."

"It's the last question I have. Please."

"No, it wasn't. The construction company he worked for… The death was gruesome, but quick. They didn't want us to see what happened to him. The coroner's report identified him, though. Why are you asking about this?"

"Sorry, mom, you should rest. I've just got a lot to process."

"About what?"

"Everything," he told her, setting the papers aside as he opened the door. "My whole life's story just changed. Anything's possible now. Once I know more, we'll have a lot to talk about. Maybe…maybe I misjudged someone, but I'm not quite there yet. For now, I'm going for a walk. When I'm too cold, I'll be back."

Marian studied Nick for a minute, then laid back down. "Nicky, you're drunk. Go sober up."


	19. Chapter 9-5

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.5 – The World Can Change

 **November 3** **rd** **, Wednesday – Zootopia Southern Road**

"Chief, are you sure about this?" Nick asked, checking his bulletproof jacket for the hundredth time. Despite being surrounded by mammals many times his size, he felt exposed and threatened. If there was ever a place he did not belong, it was the middle of a battlefield, even if the battle had not yet arrived.

"Not even a little, Wilde," Bogo replied, remaining leaned over the front of the ZPD cruiser, with his service pistol aimed southward. "I agree we should be inside the city, not here, but they want us between the conflict and the citizens."

Nick looked around at the chaos that had erupted in the last two hours. Late that morning, word had come that the Ursians had reunified, and a large force was heading north on the road. No one knew for sure what that meant in the absence of a formal declaration of war, but several hundred soldiers were arrayed across the road, waiting for anything that might show itself. Even more soldiers had been posted on the city walls, having swiftly broken open the old cannon windows as sniper roosts. The few dozen ZPD officers stood between the soldiers and hundreds of Zootopia citizens at the wall's entrance, wanting to see what the fuss was about. The police felt out of place, but Nick could not argue that the military needed every able-bodied mammal they could find. The Ursians had more soldiers in the first province than he had seen Zootopia be able to field in total.

"All units, air support is reporting the enemy force has neared the last curve in the road," squawked someone over the radios, echoing all across the area. "Estimated contact in twenty minutes. They have taken no aggressive action toward the scout troops. Our lead scout circled several of their vehicles and was allowed to leave without incident. We had one soldier walk up to within throwing range, and they ignored her."

Nick slowed his breathing, trying to get his heart's pounding back to normal. By the time he was certain he would not hyperventilate, movement was visible two miles south, where trees limited how far he could see, though the bright sunlight reflecting off the thin layer of snow on the ground made it hard to see clearly.

"That looks to be almost a thousand troops, and easily fifty trucks," Bogo said over his shoulder, letting those who could not see know what was happening. "No tanks or military vehicles in the front. It looks like they intend to march on paw to fight."

Within seconds, hundreds of Zootopian soldiers settled into position, ready to fire. Overhead, a pair of helicopters circled with gunners on either side, monitoring the Ursian movements. When the Ursians got close enough that Nick could make out the species of their entire front line, they stopped walking. In unison, every Ursian raised their empty paws, and the center of the line parted. Marching from the middle of the group, Katrina made her way down the road, her forepaws at her sides, dress and overcoat flowing in the breeze around her. She looked like she belonged at a ball, rather than a warzone, but her escort was far more at ease with the surroundings. Armed, but with his weapons holstered, Fangmeyer kept pace one stride behind Katrina. To Nick's surprise, Fangmeyer wore an Ursian military uniform.

"All troops, fire only on my command," announced the voice of the military leader, Colonel Longtooth, over the radio. "Hold your fire until my signal."

Nick took a few extra seconds for the shock to wear off. Once it did, he ducked under the cruiser and ran toward the front lines. As he went, he drew his radio and shouted, "Friendlies! Do not fire! I repeat, do _not_ fire. Those two are not here to lead an attack. Everyone, stand down!"

Nick closed on the military line, and he could tell his attempt to boss around the soldiers had not gone over well. A dozen armed wolves and lions closed ranks, clearly trying to block him from running past them. That only convinced him he had to find a way. Judy would never have let larger mammals stop her.

Running as hard as he could, Nick raced toward the larger predators. At the last moment before slamming into their waiting arms, he used a trick Judy had taught him. He dropped on the frozen ground alongside the road and slid, his momentum carrying him past the lead wolf and between several legs, before he reached a rough patch where he rolled back onto his paws and accelerated again, throwing off those trying to catch him. Soon, he was well past the Zootopian line and closing on Katrina and Markus.

"Markus!" Nick shouted, and both tigers turned to watch him approach. "They're debating an order to gun you down!"

Snarling, Markus reached down and unbuckled his duty belt, letting his holstered pistols fall to the ground. He then grabbed Katrina and pulled her to him, turning his back toward the army, using his body as a shield. Easing them both to the ground, he rolled his shoulder to let the rifle hanging over it fall to the ground with a clatter.

"Stand down!" Nick announced into the radio, again. Looking back, he saw that the soldiers were still ready to fire. "You're about to shoot two ZPD officers. I said, stand down! This is a diplomatic mission!"

The field remained deathly quiet, as orders seemed to be relayed between the soldiers on both sides. Slowly, Nick turned to look at Markus, remaining absolutely still, blocking any easy shot at Katrina, who appeared more annoyed than afraid.

"Please tell me I'm right," Nick said, lowering the radio. "You're here for diplomacy, not war…right?"

"Of course we are," Markus snapped, watching Nick from the corner of his eyes, so he did not have to turn. "Do you really think I'd be out in the open if we were attacking? Besides, why the hells would I attack my home?"

"Markus, dear, stop talking," Katrina insisted, smiling slightly as she patted his arm around her waist. "It's all working out as intended."

Fangmeyer snorted. "Intended? You told me we'd be welcomed into the city and have tea with the nice little prey there. In case you hadn't noticed, we've got a few hundred guns pointed at us, like I said would happen. I know this city better than you do. Those nice little prey are better armed than we are."

"What I said was that we would go to the city to negotiate over tea, or whatever free prey drink. I'm assuming they're civilized, and know what tea is. I also told you we would find Nick. One of the two is done. The other should be easy enough, once everyone calms down. By the by, I hadn't actually expected to see a fox in uniform. Thank you for the little surprise there, Nick. You look quite handsome in it. It suits you."

"Nick, why are they ready to shoot us?" Markus asked, ignoring Katrina completely. "I'm the only one outside the trucks who's armed. We took a big risk coming up here. At least a hundred decorated military officers told me not to let her near the front."

Nick checked the soldiers on both sides, finding that no one had backed down yet. "Word might have gotten out that Katrina replaced Rolen. They don't know what to expect from her, so they've more or less decided she's following in his pawsteps. They're terrified you're starting a war on their doorstep."

The annoyed and motherly stare Katrina gave him let Nick know she had never seriously entertained the idea of attacking Zootopia. "They see me as a warlord? I'm more likely to bake them cookies than start a war. Seriously, me as a warlord?"

"Generally. The reports are that you somehow drove Rolen out of your province entirely."

Katrina smiled and nodded. "That's remarkably good. Markus, we're going to move on to Plan B."

"You sure?" Fangmeyer asked her, glancing toward the Ursian soldiers. "This looks like we're stuck with Plan A until further notice."

"Are you two about to get me killed?" Nick asked them.

"No," Katrina said, slowly rising to her hind paws and lifting her forepaws. As she did, Markus lowered himself to the ground well away from his rifle. "We're going straight to diplomacy, with or without the tea. Could you be so kind as to call for a negotiator? We're on a rather strict schedule today, and this delay is risky."

Nick relayed the request, and was met with utter radio silence. When no one replied, he added, "Peace negotiations. This is the dream of every city facing an army. Can we not act like we're going to turn this into an unnecessary bloodbath?"

For the next minute, Nick watched as the soldiers on the Zootopian side of the lines adjusted their positions and aim. On the far side, the Ursians nervously eyed their vehicles, as though debating whether to flee. With each passing second, Nick began to think fleeing was the wiser course of action, and wondered if the Ursians might let him hop a ride until things calmed down. All it would take was either side making a wrong move, or worse, someone overreacting and firing, and everyone on the road would die in a hail of bullets.

"Hello, fox ZPD officer?" came a reply as Nick began to wonder whether anyone was even listening. "This is Colonel Longtooth. You called?"

"Thank you for getting back to me, colonel," Nick answered, holding his radio well away from his body to ensure the soldiers did not get confused about what he held. "How about that negotiator?"

"I can't make that decision, officer. I'm waiting for approval from my superiors. Can you keep things as they are until I hear back?"

Nick glared at his radio, then searched the line of Zootopian vehicles for the colonel. "That's not exactly helpful. We've got a lot of trigger-happy soldiers on both sides. Can we move this along?"

"Officer, this is outside my control. I wasn't given authorization to do anything more than stop their advance, or return fire if they attack first. The mayor was expecting all-out war, not a polite chat. It shouldn't take too long to get approval. After that, we need to find a negotiator, as we have none on-staff. Give us a couple hours."

"Hours?" Nick demanded. "You can't be serious. I have a few hundred rifles pointed at me."

"Please keep this frequency open. We'll be using it to coordinate any needed actions. We'll notify you when a negotiator has been found. Until then, maintain radio silence."

Nick clenched his jaw, refraining from saying what he really wanted to. With his thumb, he switched the channel on his radio to one the ZPD used for internal communications, then keyed the mic. "Chief Bogo? Do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Wilde," Bogo answered almost immediately. "I heard all of that. What can I do to help?"

"The military's spinning their wheels," he explained, trying to ignore the knowing chuckle from Fangmeyer. "Get me a responsible adult to handle this—someone you trust to do this right. I need someone out here ready to negotiate on behalf of the city. Hours from now isn't going to work. This is going to end in a gunfight by then."

Several seconds passed, then Bogo came back on the line. "Just tried calling the mayor, and he's refusing to let me get involved. Hang tight. I'll speak with Milo. The ZBI still owes me a favor, and I made him put it in writing. I've got an idea."

Nick kept his paws away from his sides, and stared at the radio for a while, hoping Bogo would not take long. Eventually, he looked over at Fangmeyer—still face down on the ground to ensure he did not appear threatening—then to Katrina, whose arms were sinking as she grew tired, and lastly to the army of Ursian soldiers, who were obviously getting impatient.

"Is this about how you expected it to go?" Nick asked Katrina. "Enjoying the weather?"

From the ground, Markus replied gruffly, spraying snow near his muzzle. "Almost exactly how I told her it would go. I prefer southern weather, thanks."

"Never mind the pessimist over there," Katrina replied, flicking her tail in Markus' general direction. "This was a longshot. We couldn't risk delaying, and I knew if I sent soldiers here, they would stand almost no chance. Showing up myself was about the only option. A warlord…that's just marvelous. I need to visit this city more often, once they move past the threats of violence. Prey are so insecure."

"She'll never let this drop now," Fangmeyer muttered. "Thanks for that, Wilde."

"Can I ask what the rush was?" Nick inquired. He squinted up at the midday sun, wishing they had picked a better time or place to wait at gunpoint. Dark clouds on the horizon and a chill wind hinted that he was going to get relief from the light, though snow was probably coming soon. "You could have called. Much safer. Maybe a postcard?"

Katrina laughed and shook her head. "No, I couldn't. Your phones and ours aren't connected. Even if they were, this required us to come to you anyway, and Mister Big was not about to let me dally. We're saving time by cutting out a step. As for why, I really would rather not make things more tense than they already are. We should wait until we can talk freely. You wouldn't hear anything else I said once I told you why we came."

"Mister Big?" Nick asked, nearly turning in surprise. "How do you know Mister Big?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say I know him," she explained. "He showed up unannounced a month ago, and all but insisted on getting involved in my governmental decisions. He's really the reason we found—"

Nick's radio chirped, cutting Katrina off, as Bogo came back on the line.

"Wilde, I've got a negotiator on their way," the chief announced. "The mayor has said he's stripping me of my badge after this, but I've heard that before, and I'll go over his head if he tries. Milo pulled a few strings, and accepted a demotion of his own to get this to happen immediately. By some luck, the negotiator was with him when I called, and is being sent our way. Can you keep things calm on your end for ten to twenty minutes? I know you wanted something quick, but that's as fast as I can manage. There's some drive time involved."

"I'll do what I can, but you're a lot closer to those soldiers than I am," Nick admitted. "They're looking awfully hostile."

"I'm looking at the colonel right now, Wilde. We've come to an understanding. It should be passed along any moment now."

Before Bogo finished talking, Nick watched as every Zootopian soldier raised their weapons to point at the sky, ensuring that there would be no accidental shootings.

"Much appreciated, sir," Nick replied. "Can I get the okay to have Katrina let her people know about the delay, so they're not wondering?"

"Roger that," Bogo answered. "The colonel has given his approval for, and I quote, 'the tiger playing dead' to go inform the troops. From what I see in my binoculars, that's Fangmeyer, isn't it?"

"It is, sir."

"Tell him he's fired, then send him to calm things down on their side."

Nick looked over and saw that Markus was watching him. "I'm assuming you don't need me to repeat that?"

"No, I got the message. You can let him know I found a new job that pays better," Fangmeyer replied, getting up slowly. He eyed his weapons on the snowy ground, but left them where they were. "Katrina, I'll be right back. Don't do anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it, love," she told him, grinning. "I'll wait 'til you're here to enjoy laughing at me before I move into the realm of stupid."

Fangmeyer glowered, but then made his way back toward the Ursian troops.

"So," Nick began, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows, "you and Markus?"

Katrina grinned wickedly and wagged her tail. "Yes? He's now the general of the forces I was able to take from Rolen. I believe he replaced Major Ursa and moved up from there. I try not to pay much attention to military matters. That's his realm. I much prefer the politics and face to face discussions. That and, apparently, the warlording."

"Not what I meant."

"Oh, I know what you meant. I don't actually need to answer that part. You got the answers you needed, as I'm awful at watching my wording when it comes to him. How you and Judy managed to keep quiet, I'll never know."

Nick's humor fell away and his ears shot up at the name. "Judy? You've heard from her? Last I knew, you were still calling her Fluff. What've you heard? Is she okay?"

"I have spoken with her, but I think we need to concentrate on the negotiator," Katrina warned him, tilting her head toward the city. "Either that's them, or we're about to be run down. We'll come back to Judy shortly, I can assure you."

Nick's enthusiasm for the possible leads on Judy's whereabouts faded back to nervousness as a single car was allowed past the Zootopian lines. The large sedan accelerated toward where he and Katrina stood, then slowed once it got close. The driver turned the vehicle and rolled to a stop almost close enough for him to reach out and touch the side panels, with the rear passenger door closest.

Before the car door opened, Nick had no idea who to expect. The one mammal he truly did not expect to drop to the ground landed with her hind paws disappearing into the white of the snow. Brushing her dark blue suit smooth, Skye looked around with no small amount of worry, her paws trembling as she walked toward Nick and Katrina.

"I heard you needed a neutral party," Skye explained, as she neared them. "This wasn't exactly planned. I was meeting with two mutual friends for a…a project Nick had me looking into. I am a trained negotiator, formerly of the ZBI. We've met before. How can I help?"

Nick had completely forgotten that Skye had been going to meet with Doug about the latest test samples of vaccine for his mother. Somehow, that had led to her being with Milo, which could have been either good or bad news. Having her thrown into the middle of a potential firefight definitely qualified as bad news in Nicks' book.

"Thank you for coming, Snow," Katrina offered cordially, as she lowered her paws to her sides. "I wanted to negotiate with Zootopia for peace between our region and yours. Doing so at the barrel of a rifle never yields worthwhile results, no matter what my predecessor believed."

"Skye," Skye replied, smoothing her suit habitually, to hide the shaking in her extremities. Nick noticed, but he doubted anyone not familiar with her recovery would think it to be anything more than nerves. It was far more obvious when she had to ball one paw into a fist to keep her fingers from trembling. Stress always pushed the limits of her body's ability to cope since he had gotten her out of the hospital. "Please call me Skye. It's my real name. I no longer represent any three-letter agencies in this city. I'm just another citizen with a colorful past."

Katrina's smile broadened. "Even an average citizen can make quite the difference, in the right time and place, as my previous husband used to say. I didn't understand that myself until recently. Can you speak for the city? I have obvious reservations about whether Zootopia would allow a fox to speak for the whole city, even if I'm amenable to it."

"I've been given that authority," Skye said, though she sounded more than a little unsure as she glanced to Nick, and then back to Katrina. "There are limits to what I can negotiate for, though. I'll do what I can. Let's just say that not everyone in government is happy about who and what I am, especially for a task like this."

"Oh, this should be fairly easy." Katrina turned, so she could beckon to Fangmeyer. To Nick's surprise, Markus did not actually come over. Instead, he hurried toward one of the closer trucks. Once he was moving, Katrina looked back to Skye. "The northern provinces would like to see peace and open trade with Zootopia, and the allowance for our citizens to travel freely. Ideally, we would like the city's support against those still loyal to the Ursius family, but that can come later. We want nothing more than mutual agreements."

Skye's eyes widened, and when she replied, she sounded even less sure of her words. "Katrina, I can't simply grant that. Ursian warlords declared war—"

"So they did. My holdings are no longer claiming the Ursian line as their leaders, though we have yet to select a proper name for our lands," Katrina explained. "We hold three provinces, and hope to have a fourth by the end of next week. The others will either join us in time, or find themselves starved for resources. We are not at war with Zootopia, and never have been. That declaration was by an entirely different lineage. We now wish to hear that Zootopia is not at war with us…and never will be."

Clearing his throat to get both females' attention, Nick asked, "How are you going to convince them to accept this, so long as Rolen's out there? As soon as he comes back, you might lose control again. For all we know, he might kill you tomorrow. Until he's in custody, no one above Skye's pay grade—which is remarkably low—will buy into any promises made."

"Funny you should bring that up." Katrina turned and faced the truck where Markus had gone.

Marching across the field, Fangmeyer pulled at a long chain attached to steel pawcuffs and shackles that held Rolen Ursius, and the bear's muzzle had been clamped shut with a metal restraint. Rolen limped along, his left leg nearly dragging, and Nick could make out dark burns near where the ankle cuff had been months before.

"Our former leader has been captured," Katrina went on, gesturing toward the approaching animals. "We came here to surrender him to your city, as the first gesture of mutual trust. He did a great deal of damage here, and I am willing to bet that many mammals would love to see him stand trial. I know you both would, given what you went through to try and capture him. I must admit, the work in tracking him down was not my own, but I have been given permission to handle his transfer."

Skye stepped forward and put one paw to her forehead, as if checking her temperature. "You really got him? Yes, that's something the city is willing to negotiate for. I was authorized to approve a limited treaty, if you could provide enough proof that you would not wage war. This meets those standards."

"A peace treaty in exchange for a war criminal. That seems a fair trade," Katrina said, almost to herself. "We had to hurry this along, because of the second thing we wanted to trade. We need your help with a few other treaties, but those will require a meeting with your government. I offer the other deliveries with only a request that you arrange that meeting. They are an offering of good faith."

"I can make that happen," Skye told Katrina. "What is it you're bringing?"

Nick did not hear the rest of the conversation, as he saw two small figures helped down by a red fox from the back of another truck near the one Rolen had left. The two moved slowly, with one helping the other walk, while soldiers parted to stay far from them. The two bunnies were so far away that Nick could have easily been wrong about who they were, but his heart's pounding assured him he was right.

Running hard, Nick threw aside his pistol and crossed into the Ursian army, and though they watched him with disgust, no one attempted to stop him. He did not slow until he was within fifty strides of Judy and Harry, when Harry—the one who could barely walk—began motioning for Nick to stop and back off.

"Don't come any closer!" Harry yelled, and Nick slid to a stop. "We need an ambulance. We may be carriers for… Shit I don't even know. Just get us quarantined."

Nick's legs trembled with the desire to run to Judy, and the way she watched him let him know she felt the same, though most of her attention was focused on keeping Harry upright. Still, the concern over something infectious was one that got through even his need to be near Judy. Reaching down to his belt, Nick drew his radio, unable able take his eyes off her. She was haggard, thin, and filthy, but appeared intact, otherwise.

"Bogo," he said, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "I need an ambulance and quarantine procedure for two. Judy and Harry have been exposed to something. That's all the information I have."

"That's not going to happen, Wilde," Bogo answered angrily. "No one over here's going to approve an ambulance going behind enemy lines, whether we're negotiating or not. The car that brought Skye is the last one getting through, and the driver isn't about to pick up someone who needs quarantine. The mayor already has me on repeat-dial to yell about the last request."

Nick stayed still a moment longer, watching as Judy tried to keep Harry moving and nearly dropped him. They were both weak and moving slowly. It would take an hour or better to cross the field and enter the city gates. Given Katrina's comments about needing to hurry, he was not going to let them crawl the whole way.

"I'll bring them to you, if you can have the ambulance ready by the time I get there," he told Bogo, as he began closing the distance to the bunnies. "And make that quarantine for three."

"Wilde?" Bogo replied, sounding confused at first. "Wilde! Nick, turn around and come back. That's an order."

Hurling his radio to his right, where it would land far from any soldiers, he marched toward Judy and Harry. They froze as he got near, eyes widening.

"Nick, go back!" Judy insisted, shifting Harry's weight so she could back away. "We're contagious to anyone not already vaccinated."

Coming right up to them, Nick sighed. "Yeah. Got the memo. You two need a ride?"

When neither bunny replied, Nick picked Harry up under his right arm, and Judy under his left. Together, they weighed nearly as much as he did, and he was not exactly the fittest officer in the ZPD. He turned back toward the city with them loudly objecting to being handled the way he was, then took off at a fast walk. It was not speedy, but it was going to get them there in easily half the time it would have if they had walked on their own.

"Nick, this is stupid and dangerous," Judy told him, trying to squirm in his grip so she could look up at him, but he had positioned her specifically to prevent that. "You don't even know what we've got."

"Nope, sure don't."

"Nick, put us down."

"Not happening, Fluff. Want to tell me about it? This is a long walk."

Judy grumbled, but stopped fighting. "We _think_ it's an engineered bacterial weapon. Rolen designed it for biological warfare, based on something Zootopia used against his lands in the past. The original was meant to slowly kill canines, but this version is supposed to only hurt prey…"

"Supposed to?" Nick asked, nearly tripping. "What's that mean?"

From his other side, Harry weakly mumbled, "It means we watched it all but liquefy a ferret. The line between predator and prey is blurry sometimes, and we didn't give him time to perfect it. There's no guarantee it won't melt you, too."

Nick sped up his pace slightly, feeling his skin warm with fear, both for himself and for the two bunnies. "How long do you two have, and when were you exposed?"

"Assuming we hold up as well as an average ferret," Judy mused, wrapping her arms around his waist to ease the burden of carrying her, "maybe another day before we start bleeding from our noses and gums. After that, ten hours, at most. Definitely no longer than that. Harry, eight hours less, and it's already starting to get to him."

"Yaaaay," breathed Harry, hanging limply in Nick's arm.

"You're both fighters," Nick insisted, forcing his legs to carry him a little faster. Already, his muscles had begun to ache, and he was still far from the city. "Even you, Zippy. Hang in there. You've both got long and likely frustrating lives ahead of you."

"You two do," Harry said softly. "I did what I set out to do."

"Let's try the chipper and thankful thing," Nick told Harry. "Skye's been missing you something fierce. Don't read too much into that, but if you drop dead, she's going to be really upset. I shouldn't have to deal with that for you, so suck it up, and stay awake. I once said I'd slap you to death. Now, I'll slap you if you die."

"Skye?" Harry asked, lifting his head and staring around the road, clearly not seeing Skye directly ahead of them. "Been wondering where she was. Think she wants to cuddle?"

Nick stumbled, and bit his cheek to keep from laughing. "You're more than a little delirious, Zippy. Let's just not mention cuddling until you're disease-free, okay? It's a good life policy for everyone."

"Oookay, boss!" Harry replied, chuckling as he lightly punched Nick's hip.

"There's a fever," Judy explained, sounding worried. "I'm up a little shy of two degrees. He's up four. His brain is probably baking right now."

Harry let out a gleeful giggle, and held out his arms and legs, pretending he was flying.

"Almost to brain damage, great," Nick muttered. "Luckily, it won't really show with him. We'll get him to Milo. He'll know what to do."

Nick walked right past Skye and the car, not slowing even when she set off after them.

"Nick, what's going on?" Skye demanded, padding along in the crunchy snow right behind him. "Are they okay?"

"They will be if we get to Milo. Don't get closer, or you'll catch what they have."

Skye's pawfalls stopped briefly. "Nick, stop. We'll drive. There's no time to walk."

Behind him, Nick heard Skye run farther away, and a brief argument between her and the car driver. She must have won the debate, as he then heard the car start up and seconds later, it rolled up alongside him.

"Get in!" Skye insisted, though he could not see her in the window, with her low enough to reach the pedals. "Nick, stop walking and get in the damn car!"

"I already told you, they're contagious!" Nick snapped, though he did stop. "I'm already exposed. Let's not keep adding more animals to the list."

The car lurched as Skye put it in park, then hopped up onto the seat so she could look down at him. "You risked yourself for the person you love. Let me do the same for my…for my friend. We can burn the car after, if it makes you feel better."

Nick glared at Skye, then looked toward the city, trying to convince himself to keep walking. To his dismay, he was not even halfway there, though an ambulance waited at the wall, its lights flashing between the lines of soldiers.

"Fine. We'll stay as far in the back as possible," he conceded, and watched as Skye dove over the seats into the back to open the door for him. He waited until she was back in front before he set Harry on the back floor, then Judy beside him. "Did you see where Katrina got to?"

"Yes," Skye replied, tapping her paws on the wheel impatiently, until he closed the door. Once he did, she floored the gas pedal and they began speeding toward the city. "She went back to the truck Rolen came out of. Markus is escorting Rolen into Zootopia. It looks like the army is setting up a temporary camp, likely until we finish any negotiations. The mayor isn't allowing Katrina inside the walls for the moment."

"And does our military know you already offered them peaceful terms?"

"I called it in, and will turn in all the required paperwork by the morning. I know the protocols, Nick. Probably better than the government does."

Satisfied things were lining up nicely, Nick sat down on the floorboards with Harry and Judy. Harry squirmed about on the floor, opening up his shirt and flapping it to cool himself off. Every so often, he scratched at his neck, as though he was suffocating. Judy ignored Nick completely, watching Harry with terror in her huge eyes.

"He'll be fine," Nick assured her, reaching out to touch her cheek. To his dismay, she scooted away from him and slammed her back against the door, her ears flattening to the back of her head as she stayed well out of reach. "Judy?"

"I'm okay, but I'm not going to risk you any more than I already have," she said, kneeling with her hind paws under her tail. "You have no idea what we've been through, and I don't want to let you experience any of it. Just…just don't touch me. Please."

Nick finally looked away from her face, and began to understand a bit more. Her fur was matted and missing patches in a few places. Deep scratches on her neck appeared as though she had tried clawing at her own collar, which made him wonder if someone had set off the electrical charge in it. Her forearms had several fresh wounds, possibly from claws, or maybe from brambles. The white fur on her neck and bottoms of her paws was so filthy that it was darker than her grey fur normally was. Even her tail was matted and tangled from far too long without a brushing. She looked as though she had been through hell and back.

Through the entire ride, Judy kept her attention on Harry, making Nick wonder if she was even happy to see him after so long. He tried not to think that way, knowing Harry was in dire need of medical care, and Judy was not far behind, but it still rattled him that she had not once given him so much as a glance that silently said, "Good to see you, love."

"Do you have a phone or radio handy?" Nick asked Skye, once they were nearing the ambulance. "We need to let Milo know to meet us and my radio is… I might have lost it in the field."

Skye peeked up at the rear-view mirror. "We'll get to the ambulance and then call him. I'll have him bring Doug's work, too. They think they've got a working vaccine. We'll be going to the right hospital, so we'll have Tuktu try it while we're there. Depending on what we were all exposed to, we might need her anyway."

For the first time since her reappearance, Judy's ears went up. "Doug?"

"Yes, that Doug," Nick explained. "Mom's… She's really sick. We were getting desperate for a cure."

"How sick?" Judy asked nervously, though instead of looking at Nick, she was watching the back of Skye's seat for some reason. "You two are working together now?"

The car lurched as Skye brought it to a stop. Standing on the seat, she told Judy, "It's more complicated than that. I'm helping Nick as best I can, mostly by watching his mother while he works. Let's get you two to the ambulance and we can talk about it all later. You need to worry about yourself right now."

Judy gave Nick a hurt glance, but nodded. When he reached for her, she pushed right past him, going to Harry and helping him up. Nick chose instead to open the door, following them out onto the road, with Skye climbing down beside them.

The moment the four of them left the car, EMTs rushed over, all wearing heavy contamination-protective suits. They pulled Nick away from the others, dividing up the group rapidly. In a whirlwind of paws, pen lights, and instruments pressed to his neck, Nick was checked in a thousand different ways, and then tossed onto a gurney. A mask was placed over his muzzle, and they put him into the ambulance. By the time he was not being prodded, he idly wondered if some of the EMTs might owe him dinner and a movie after all the touching and groping.

Soon after he was secured, Judy was brought into the ambulance in much the same condition he had been. Unlike him, they did not leave her alone. Two EMTs continued working over her, and from what Nick could see from the odd angle, they had placed ice packs under her neck and hind paws. The ram most actively treating her cut away her shirt and placed cardiac monitoring pads on her chest. The EMT stopped once her shirt was off, his hooves touching the collar still on her neck.

"I wouldn't mess with that," Nick warned the ram, after raising his mask. "It'll knock you across the room."

One of the other EMTs looked up from Judy, and pointed at Nick while talking to the ram. "Get him under control! He's going to contaminate everything if he keeps lifting his mask."

Nick snapped his mask back into place. "Fine! Fine! I'll be good."

The ram did not bother talking to him. Instead, he jabbed a needle into Nick's shoulder.

"Hey, what's…?" Nick began to ask, then felt the ambulance begin to spin slowly as the sedative kicked in. "Oh, hey, that's nice. What'd you give…? Hi, I'm Nick."


	20. Chapter 9-6

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.6 – The World Can Change

 **November 5** **th** **, Friday "Stupid Early" – Briarlark Hospital Isolation Ward**

Judy let out a short cry of pain and fear as she woke. She grabbed around her for anything she recognized, but Harry was nowhere to be found. Restraints on her wrists added to the momentary fear, making her think Rolen had caught her again, but they were loose, meant only to keep her from thrashing about, not to prevent any movement. Panting, she blinked and felt the blankets with her fingers, slowly realizing that she was not somewhere she would be beaten or killed. She was home, or as close to it as mattered. After what felt like years, she was in a bed—a hospital bed, but still a real bed. Her fingers still slightly numb, she ripped away the restraints so she could move freely.

"Hello?" Judy asked the dark room, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask. "Is anyone out there?"

"Like they could keep me away," replied Nick, leaning in so they she could see him even in the low light. "How're you feeling?"

"Sick. Scared. Cold." Before Judy could think about anything else, Nick pulled an extra blanket over her. "What's going on? Where's Harry?"

It did not require good lighting for Judy to see the brief hurt expression on Nick's face, though she could not quite grasp why in her dazed state. It was gone too quickly for her to worry about it. "He's a few rooms down. He got a nosebleed a few hours ago, and they shut us all out until he's entirely stable. They don't quite have his fever down, but it's about where yours was when you went under."

"And mine?"

"You're fine. They pumped you so full of antibiotics and antivirals that I'm surprised you've got any original fluids left in you. They don't know what you were hit with, but they took a lot of samples. Whatever it was, it's gone, and you're healing now. They want to monitor you for another day, then send you home with a big bottle of pills."

Judy sighed with relief and relaxed onto the pillow, though her collar made that somewhat uncomfortable. "You and Skye?"

"She's immune to it, which we're rather confused by," he told her. "I… I've already got it, whatever _it_ is. I've got a good hunch you were exposed to some strain of canine lung virus, which is what my mother and I got from somewhere. Long story. Good news is I won't get worse from this exposure."

"Did Rolen escape yet?"

"I thought you were the optimist, Fluff. No, he's locked up. Milo designed something pretty special to keep him contained. He's got his own special wrist cuffs that maintain a sedative that prevents him from exerting himself too much. So long as Milo isn't a secret agent working for Rolen, I think we finally got him. Or rather, _you_ got him. I just sat here and looked pretty."

"We had a lot of help," she admitted. Her head still felt foggy, likely from whatever they had given her. "Where's the fox?"

Nick brought his face directly over Judy's. "Right here, Judy. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Not you. The one we came back from the south with. He helped us track Rolen, and I wanted to thank him. He was immune to whatever Rolen used on us, like Skye."

"No fox here, other than myself and Skye," he told her, shrugging.

Judy sighed and closed her eyes. The effort of staying awake was draining her quickly. When she opened her eyes again, Nick's paws were near her neck, and she instinctively squeaked as she brought her own paws up to stop him. The realization of what she had done was too late, as Nick stared at her with unabashed heartbreak, while she panted and slowly lowered her arms.

"I'm sorry," she told him, her voice still muffled by the mask. "After the last couple months, Harry's the only one I'm used to being near me when I wake up. Claws…they terrify me. Just…say something before reaching out."

Nick's hurt expression only deepened. "I… That shouldn't surprise me. You two were working together a long time. I'm sure he was the only one you could trust there. I was just going to see about removing the collar."

"Yeah, I understand now." Judy struggled to stay awake. "Can you send him in? He usually watches when I sleep, and I watch him when he does. Safer that way. Not used to being alone. If I can't touch him when I'm sleeping, I panic."

Nick's paws dropped into his lap, somewhat startling Judy back awake. "I'm going to be asking a lot of questions when you aren't delirious. Everything that comes out of your mouth right now is a little creepy, so I'm going to assume you're still heavily-medicated. He's still unconscious and heavily sedated, so I can't send him anywhere."

Movement past Nick put Judy back on the defensive, thinking he was going to be attacked, but whoever was approaching shifted to the far side of the room. They got almost to the bed before Nick even noticed they were there.

"Hello?" Nick asked, sitting up sharply, trying to follow the shadowy movement. "Who's there?"

Judy smiled as she recognized the sneaky behavior. "That's our missing fox. Nick, say hello to Agent Crimson."

"Crimson?" Nick asked, as the second red fox stepped into the dim lighting over the bed. "I saw a few photos and reports with your name on them. You're ZBI?"

Agent Crimson took a seat across from Nick. A good bit older than him, Crimson had the ragged look of an animal who had been on the run for most of his adult life. The agent's clothing was all new, though his simple jeans and shirt would have drawn little or no attention, had he been anywhere but someone else's hospital room. Though the same general species as Nick, his colorations were variations of deep blood reds, even on his paws and chest, likely the reasoning for his agency name. Without looking at Nick, Agent Crimson took Judy's left paw and kissed it, making her flinch the same way she had when Nick had tried to touch her. "Thank you for your work down there, Hopps. Twenty years of work, trying to corner Rolen and his family, and you made it look easy. Never thought I'd be sitting here, thanking a cute little—"

Nick reached across the bed and smacked Crimson's paw away from Judy's and growled at him. "First, back off. I don't have a very fond view of the agency right now, and I think I earned being a bit overprotective. Second, do you have any idea how belittling calling her 'cute' is? And C, stop being grabby."

Crimson sat up and eyed Nick the same way she had seen him glare at a wolf until she backed down. "Boy, are you seriously picking a fight with me? I will put you on the floor, crying, if you ever slap my paw again. I'm trying to thank this brave officer for her work. Have some damned respect for the situation."

Judy felt the tension rising around her, and tried to grab for both foxes' paws, but they were out of reach. Though she was still groggy, having the two foxes almost come to blows had woken her up considerably. "Crimson! Nick! Both of you, calm down. No one's fighting in my hospital room."

The two male foxes ignored her, and Crimson was the first to stand so that he could look down on Nick. Clearly unwilling to yield, Nick stood, too, and came around the bed, marching right up to Crimson, so they were eye to eye. Judy had not realized previously, but they were of similar height and build. Training aside, she might have had trouble betting on who would win. Given Crimson's history, she worried Nick was about to get a hard lesson.

Knowing her doctor would likely have words with her about it, Judy tore off her mask and tossed it aside. "Boys! I hear one more growl out of either of you, and I'm getting out of this bed and reminding you both that you're supposed to behave in a hospital."

Crimson did not budge, but Nick's bluster faded rapidly. Muttering an apology, Nick came back around the bed and took her paw. "I'm sorry, Fluff. What can I do?"

"You can start by talking with Crimson, instead of trying to get your tail kicked by him," she chided, and Nick actually hung his head. She had never seen him this willing to yield. "He gave up his mission for a reason. I don't even know why he helped us, so can we get that figured out before you get beaten to a bloody pulp?"

"Anything for you," Nick mumbled, squeezing her paw a little tighter. "Agent Crimson, I'm sorry for overreacting. We've had some bad experiences with the agency, and I get a little nervous when agents start touching Judy. Right now, probably nervous when anyone touches her."

"Well that wasn't something I was ready for," Crimson admitted, slowly sitting back down. He eyed Nick with some degree of confusion. "I understand officers protecting each other, but are you two…?"

Nick looked up at Judy, his expression making it clear he was not sure how to answer. The reason took Judy a second to work through, before she realized where they had left things so long ago. She might have worked through her feelings in that time, but he had been waiting in limbo for her. He genuinely had no idea what to say.

"We were dating before the mission," Judy explained to Crimson, leaving things open enough to have a proper conversation once they were alone. She did not want to entirely assume how Nick felt, especially after the offpaw comments about Skye staying with him. She doubted there was any significance to that, but after two months, anything was possible. Being jealous was not high on her list of thoughts with the amount of medicine clouding her mind, but she wanted everything cleared up before announcing anything. "I doubt you came all the way here just to be horrified by things Zootopians do. Ursians are a bit different."

Crimson laughed and shook his head. "I may have been born there, but I'm very familiar with this city, though not recently. Interspecies relationships aren't a new thing, but admitting to them is. The last time I stayed here for any length of time, even suggesting you two had been together would have gotten someone lynched. As for why I came back…my work is finally done, and I have you to thank for that, bunny. I went down there years ago to help stop the Ursians. The ZBI insisted I stay until it was done, even though it meant leaving everything I loved here. Was starting to think I would live the rest of my life undercover."

Before Judy could reply, a caribou in a doctor's coat leaned into the room and looked toward Nick. "Officer Nick, a word please? The tests are beginning with the blood samples and I wanted to speak with you about what we're seeing."

Nick got up reluctantly, and then leaned in and kissed Judy's cheek. "I'm sorry. I need to go. I promise we'll have that talk soon."

Smiling happily—something that felt almost foreign after so long—she clasped his paw with both of hers. "I'll be here."

Nick started to go and stopped several times, staring at their paws together.

"Nick, I swear I won't disappear," she assured him.

With a smirk, Nick slid free of her paw and left the room.

Crimson watched the exchange, with an almost matching smirk to Nick's. "He's really got a thing for you, Hopps. I won't claim to understand…this…but it's endearing."

"You wanted to talk, agent?" she pushed, not really wanting to talk about her relationship—or whatever it was these days—with someone she had spent only a few hours around, mostly on the drive home. She knew he had helped Harry free her from Rolen weeks earlier, but they had never had time to discuss it. "How can I help?"

Crimson raised one eyebrow. "Touchy subject. I understand completely. Learned the hard way, relationships get really difficult in the agency. I'm actually glad you sent him away. I don't know much about him, and we needed to talk quietly."

"Nick can hear anything you need to say to me."

"Yeah, that may be, but I'd rather not. He's a little too hot-headed." Crimson leaned back to check the door, then returned his attention to Judy. "I saw the work you did out there in the field. There's a place for you in the agency, if you want it. I've met badgers who're less capable than you in a fight, and you're quick on your paws with new ideas. I can promise you a senior agent position, as we have more than a few openings."

"That's not really yours to offer, agent," she reminded him as gently as she could. "You told me yourself, you had to follow orders. Someone higher up must have given them."

"True, to a point," he admitted. "My senior agent is dead. So's hers. Hell, my whole chain of command is gone. I reached out last night, and learned Milo—little bookworm that he is—is in charge for the moment, though he's stepping down. That actually means I'm the most senior agent left. We talked, and I'm apparently in line for the director position, despite innumerable objections from the mayor. I can finally stop doing field work and make apologies to a lot of animals I hurt in my lifetime. Before you make any more connections to those you lost by leaving originally, I'd like you to strongly consider my offer."

Judy looked to the door, wishing Nick would come back, but unfortunately, he did not. "I'll pass, agent. I'm a cop. I've always been a cop. This trip was something I did because no one else could or would. I want to go back to my life now. I've got a chance at something good and I'm not willing to give it up. This is my life's dream, both work and personal. I love what I've found for both."

Agent Crimson smiled wistfully. "I understand better than you might imagine."

"I take it you're disappearing now?" she asked him, as he got up.

"That's generally the idea." Crimson slid his chair over toward the wall, and put his paws into his pockets as he wandered toward the door. He opened the room's door, looking out, then turned back to Judy. "Take care, Hopps. I expect I'll see a great deal more from you and your…whatever he is at this point. Do you mind me asking exactly what it is you're giving up a role in the spy business for? Most mammals would kill for what I just offered you."

"Nick's the dearest mammal in the world to my heart," she confessed, feeling the weight of keeping things to herself for so long ease slightly. "He's the reason I got through everything I did in the south without losing myself along the way. I'm not giving up a chance at this for a new job. Sweet cheese and crackers, I wouldn't even give him up for my ZPD job. If the ZPD came between me and him, I'd pick him every time. I don't know how to tell him how much he means to me, but he's what matters to me right now. The ZBI isn't what I grew up dreaming about, and isn't even something I'd consider now."

Crimson stood at the door a moment longer, smiling absently. "Oh, I think you'll manage to tell him. Besides, he probably already knows how you feel."

Slowly, Nick leaned into the room, giving Judy a wide-eyed stare.

"It's not that tricky, you two," Crimson said to no one in particular. Then, turning to Nick, he offered his paw. "We haven't been properly introduced. Agent Crimson, or 'JW' to the older agents. I was the one following you around town when you arrived at Katrina's place. Sorry for any scare I might have given you. I'm afraid I never fully caught your name. I only know you as Nick, so far."

"Nick," Nick told Crimson, taking his paw and shaking it. "Nick Wilde."

The smooth calm on Agent Crimson's face fell away, and he stared at Nick, without releasing his paw. Even when Nick tried to pull away, Crimson held tight. Judy watched the exchange with growing nervousness, wondering if they were about to escalate things again. She knew she was in no shape to beat down two fully-grown foxes in her condition.

"Judy, I think I broke him," Nick told her, tugging his paw.

"I…I don't understand," Crimson said, looking between Nick's paw and Judy. "Officer Judy Hopps?"

"Yes," Judy answered, unsure what was going on.

"And Officer Nicholas _Pibereous_ Wilde?" Crimson asked next, still clinging to Nick's paw. A slow smile spread over Crimson's muzzle. "Son of Marian Robin Wilde?"

"How do you know any of that if you didn't know who I was a second ago?" Nick asked, wiggling his paw to try and free it. "Can you let go now?"

Judy's mind raced as she began putting pieces together. "They call you JW?"

"Yes, they did," Crimson replied. He stared blankly at the floor, apparently oblivious to Nick's attempts to extricate himself. "I should go. I'm sorry for delaying you both. I'll reach out, once I've gotten things settled at the agency, and we can probably see about making interactions between the ZPD and ZBI a bit smoother. I…I have things to sort through."

"Nick, what was your father's name?" Judy asked next, realizing she already knew the answer.

"John Wilde," both Nick and Crimson answered together.

Judy was almost instantly on top of the blankets and on her paws and knees, barely even aware of the IV still stuck in her left arm. "You've got to be kidding me. Nick, I thought you said he was—"

Before Judy could finish the question, Nick yanked his paw free and punched Crimson—John Wilde—dropping him to the floor. Panting angrily, Nick kept his right paw balled up, waiting for John to stand again, which he was smart enough not to do. To Judy's horror, his other paw trembled near his ZPD pistol. "Dead? Yeah. He is. If he's not really dead, he's at least dead to me and mom."

Before anyone else moved, Skye came into the room behind Nick. She took one look at John, and shoved Nick toward the wall, putting herself between him and the agent.

"Nick, I don't know what's going on," she admitted, looking over her shoulder at John as he slowly stood up. "Please don't blame Crimson for anything that happened with the agency. He's a friend. He's one of the good ones."

Judy watched as John checked his fangs, and wiped a bit of blood off his muzzle. He stood and took a step back toward her, to get well out of Nick's reach. Turning, he asked her, "Judy, is he always like this? Good right hook, though."

"Yes, but you deserved that one," she told him, the shock over the situation fading ever so slightly. "One punch for twenty years of pent up anger seems fair."

"Deserved it? Hardly!" Skye argued, waving a finger under Nick's jaw as warning, before turning to face John and Judy. "Crimson is one of our best agents. Highly respected. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not about to have things escalate into a fight in the hospital. Crimson, are you okay?"

Rolling his eyes, John crossed his arms over his chest. "You can give it a rest, honey. The idol worship gets old. Besides, you're not an agent anymore. You can stop kissing tail for a promotion."

Judy looked to Nick, and he met her gaze with a confused stare of his own. He gave her a shrug, and then skirted around Skye to come over to sit beside Judy on the bed. When he was settled, Judy leaned against him, pulling his tail around onto her lap to keep her legs warm. He tensed briefly, then seemed to accept the affectionate gesture.

Across the room, John and Skye were facing each other, with Skye glaring up at the taller fox.

After a moment studying her, John demanded, "You mind telling me what you were doing in the south? We had a deal. You weren't supposed to go back. By the bear, you weren't even supposed to join the ZBI, but I heard about that a couple years ago."

"Excuse me?" Skye snapped back, bristling. "You made that promise for me. I certainly didn't make it. I _never_ claimed I would stay out of the south, especially with Harry still there. After you died—something we need to have words about, since it's one thing to fake your death to join the agency, but quite another to fake it again against us—I definitely wasn't about to honor your wishes."

Leaning to her right, Judy put her mouth as close to Nick's ear as she could so she could whisper out of the side of her muzzle. "Lovers?"

Nick did not reply, but instead shivered a little, and Judy realized that breathing on his ear was probably not entirely kind at the moment, even if he did look somewhat happier than he had to that point. It made Judy feel slightly guilty that they had not been able to privately talk, but that could come in time.

The whisper had been meant for Nick's ears only, but Skye apparently heard her, and her eyes widened in horror, while John chuckled and shook his head. "Judy, no…I…wow. No, I am not with Crimson. Why does everyone make those kind of assumptions? He's the one who got me out of Ursian lands, and led me back with Harry. He brought me here and showed me a new way to live."

John snorted. "I adopted you, you insufferable monster. I brought you here so you could stay, not run right back. I told you I would bring Harry out without you putting yourself at risk."

"Yes, well, I did fine without you, _dad_ ," Skye snapped, glaring back at him.

Judy turned to look at Nick, and found that his jaw was hanging open. Gently, she lifted it back into place, though he did not blink.

"I don't know about fine," John went on, taking a few steps up to Skye. He looked her over, shaking his head. "You're skin and bones. What've you been doing to yourself?"

"Exactly what the ZBI taught me to do," she snapped back. "You know. The usual. Whoring around and doing drugs. Maybe the occasional arrest of an international criminal, but we both know that's not good enough for you, unless I did it by myself."

"I've never asked anything of the sort from you! I'm proud of both you and your step-brother!"

Judy reached down and yanked the IV free of her arm. She still felt sick and dizzy, but she had no desire to stick around through the squabbling. Once she was certain she had no other tubes attached to her, she patted Nick's shoulder until he paid attention. When he did, she pointed at the door, and he nodded vigorously.

"My what?" Skye yelled back at John, as their voices gradually rose in volume. "If you mean Pearl, you damn well better not be proud of that psychotic murderer! He's in a psych ward, and will be for a long time! They won't even let me near him!"

"No, I mean Nick!"

"By the bear, I have no damned idea what you're talking about!"

Nick helped Judy down to the floor, and they slipped along the wall and out into the hall. Once there, Judy waited until Nick had pulled the door closed, muffling the shouting between Skye and John.

"My step-sister has daddy issues," Nick mumbled, once they were alone in the hallway. "You have no idea how glad I am that I didn't sleep with her. I'm going to need therapy for years as it is."

"Nick," Judy said, reaching up and taking his paw to lead him away from the door. "I know this wasn't how you always dreamed of finding your father, but at least you know he didn't leave of his own choice."

Nick bared his teeth briefly and shook his head. "No, my father died years ago. I don't care if he's blood-related to me, he's Skye's father, not mine. I have a mother, but no father. He leaves for twenty years, and comes back thinking I'll forgive him?"

Judy pulled Nick's paw to force him to bend down. "I left for months. Am I dead to you, too?"

The surprise in Nick's eyes faded to hurt. "No, Judy. Never. I'm sorry. I'm just angry. I didn't mean to ruin the first chance we had to talk."

"I don't even care about that," she insisted, kissing the tip of his nose. Judging by the blissful way he appeared to melt, she was not going to have to plead too hard to win him back. "How is Marian?"

The joy faded right out of Nick as soon as his mother was mentioned. "You know damned well she wants to be called mom, not Marian."

"Okay, fine, how is mom?"

"Not good," Nick admitted, closing his eyes. "She's dying. Weeks or less left, if we don't find a cure. They were testing a vaccine, but it failed. Doctor Tuktu said the current batch would kill her if we keep her on it long. I'm running out of time and luck. Doug's threatening to quit, and Milo doesn't have any more ideas. I want her to see that you're back, though, because she was worried about me pining away for the rest of my life."

"Is she still at the condo?"

Nick shook his head. "Living with Skye and I now. With Skye unemployed, I took her in to help with mom while I work. Right now, mom's down the hall having some blood work done, so we have more samples to use for another vaccine attempt. They're giving her a transfusion to slow things down a little, but every antiviral they have will only buy her another month or two."

Judy took Nick's paw and slowly slid her fingers between his. A brief flash of memory involving him eating bunny meat crossed her mind, and with it memories of another mammal's claws trying to grab her, but she suppressed it quickly, like many other things from the south. "Have you told my parents I'm back yet?"

"No. I wanted to be sure of your condition, first. Last thing I needed was to let your father know you're home, and then have to drop the bad news that you're dying to some surprise disease from fighting Rolen."

"Good. I'm not quite ready to see them yet." Looking down the hall the way Nick had gone before, she added, "Let's go see her."

Nick hesitated, but stood and led her down the hall, to a room where the caribou doctor she had seen earlier was talking quietly with Marian. At their approach, the doctor excused herself, and Marian looked up at them, smiling happily at both, while she remained sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Everyone looks so down today," Marian said, clearly working to keep her tone upbeat. "I would have expected the good news of getting home being worthy of some cheer. Welcome back, Judy, honey. I'm betting you have plenty of stories to tell us."

Judy tugged on Nick's paw to get his attention, and when he leaned over her, she asked, "Can you give us a minute?"

The confusion came back in Nick's eyes, but he never hesitated before replying, "Of course. Be right back. I'll go make sure Skye hasn't killed…that guy. If she has, I'll help her hide the body. Hopefully by now he's told her who he is."

Nick smiled at his mother, then left the room, closing the door behind him. The change in volume between the door being open and closed was amazing to Judy, leaving her in some semblance of quiet for the first time since leaving Ursian lands. The rumbling trucks, followed by ambulances, and then the hospital had given her no reprieve from constant noise that made her feel overwhelmed after months in lands where there was so much less going on—aside from the occasional gunfire.

"This really must be serious," Marian noted, rubbing at the bandage stuck to the inner side of her arm, where some fur had been shaved away. "What'd he do now, or while you were away? If it was something with that vixen, I'll hold him down for you to beat on. Her, I'll insist on driving over."

Judy laughed in spite of herself, then scrambled up onto the bed beside Marian, after one failed attempt that almost left her on her tail on the floor. Once she had settled, she took a deep breath and clasped her paws in front of her, while watching her toes. "Has Nick said anything about where we left things, when we were out of the city?"

Marian smiled and nodded, before patting Judy's knee. "Yes, but if that's what you were worried about, you're overreacting. Two months in, he's as in love as he was when you two vanished. That's not to say he's smart enough not to have touched that vixen in desperation, thus my concerns. He may have picked up bad habits from Finnick."

"Not exactly what I'm worried about," Judy confessed, fidgeting with her hind paws. "I told him I won't consider getting back together until he's okay with the idea of not having kits of our own. That's a lot to ask of him…"

"Getting a bit ahead of yourself, Judy?" Marian asked. Her soft laughter did a lot to ease Judy's worries. "I don't know how you bunnies usually plan those things out, but usually we foxes try to at least consider a formal mating or marriage before worrying too much on that."

"My family's rule is that we should make it official before the second litter of kits," she explained. "I think the norm in the burrow is before the third or fourth litter, but we're a bit more conservative than most. That's not really what I wanted to talk about, though. I can't expect him to make that kind of decision yet."

Marian reached down and pried one of Judy's paws away from the other, so she could pat it. "Child, that's not something you need to worry so much about. He tried to adopt those kits you sent back from the south. He wanted them to stay something fierce. Hurt him as much losing them as it did you. You need to worry more that the city may not let you adopt, being an interspecies couple. They aren't ready for it, even if you two are."

Judy's stomach tightened up, and she nodded. "That shouldn't really surprise me. I want to put that aside for now, though. What I needed to talk with you about is more important, and I needed to get it out of the way before him and I talked."

Marian's ears perked, and she watched Judy intently.

"I've had way too much time to think about how bad of a girlfriend I was by pushing him away. I was repeating old mistakes," she said softly. "When I get scared or stressed, I run away or drive off whoever's close to me. That's not fair to him, just like it wasn't fair when I did it before we were dating. If he's willing to give things another try, I want to talk with him about making things a little more serious and committed…and with your situation…"

Marian let out a little squeak, and looked to the door, back to Judy, then to the door, and right back to Judy. "Honey, are you saying you're going to ask Nick to make things formal?"

"Not without your blessing," Judy said, barely able to hear her own voice over her pounding heart. "It's a little old-fashioned, but I want everything perfect before I even consider asking. It's not something I plan to do anytime soon. Maybe in a year or two. I wanted to be sure you knew in advance and could say something if you didn't want me to even ask him, especially since it could be quite some time before then…and…"

"And I might not still be here." Despite her somber tone, the older fox looked as though she were trying not to bounce up and down. When she was able to compose herself, Marian said more softly, "I need you to spell this out for me. I'm worried that I'm misunderstanding or delusional, honey."

Judy swallowed and tried to compose her thoughts. "There's a good chance he'll refuse to take me back—" Marian's snort left little doubt about what she thought of that. "—but if he does, I don't want him to think it's an all-or-nothing discussion. I want to be with him and would like to discuss adoption. If he'll have me, I'll test the water for how he's feeling and maybe we can talk about a formal mating or maybe marriage in the future. That might scare him off—" This time, Marian openly laughed, then apologized. "—so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I still might chicken out long before getting there, so don't take this as something that's going to happen soon."

"You're trying make sure I don't drop dead before seeing what I thought of it," Marian finished for Judy. "Nothing morbid about that. I understand completely. So you're not looking to ask him today…just sometime. Maybe years out. And ultimately, you wanted my blessing and approval of either the idea or of you?"

"Right. I don't want to rush anything. First step is seeing if he'll even agree to get back together. I haven't exactly been easy to put up with. He's had a lot of time to rethink taking me back."

"Judy, honey, you have my blessing, without question. Giving Nick a hard time and pushing him away when he gets to be too much is still overly kind. Did I ever tell you he used to cling to my leg and cry when I tried to send him to school? You asking for space elicited much the same reaction, I think. He'll get over it. However, I do intend to make good use of my remaining time to tell you all kinds of embarrassing things about his childhood. Remind me, and I'll find pictures of him."

Marian reached over and took her cane, then stood slowly. Her legs were far shakier than they had been when Judy had left. Limping around to face Judy, she said softly, "This is a day of surprises. First, my favorite bunny comes home. Now…" Marian hobbled across the room as she spoke, until she was in front of the door. "…I find out that the best thing that ever happened to my boy might be coming back into his life, if he doesn't screw things up. Let's hope he's not that stupid."

Grabbing the handle, Marian gave Judy a wink, and then opened the door. With a yelp, Nick fell into the room, landing on his chest in front of his mother. He scrambled back onto his paws and brushed himself off, trying to look casual about being caught.

"How much did you hear?" Judy asked nervously, back to fidgeting. She wanted desperately to hide under Marian's pillow and start the day over. In the back of her mind, she considered blaming everything she had said on her medications.

"Annoyingly little," Nick answered, glowering at his mother and clicking his tongue. "Skye's still yelling down the hall and it drowns out almost everything. Something about asking permission, and then something coming into my life."

Sure enough, when Judy raised her ears, she could hear the muffled argument continuing between John and Skye. They had moved on to fighting about investigative techniques.

"Oh, nothing too important," Marian practically purred, as she made her way back to the bed. There, she sat down alongside Judy and gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Judy, honey, you should have that talk before Nick manages to get himself into any trouble."

"Mom," Nick countered, putting his paws on his hips. "I'm a decorated police officer now. Stop assuming I'm getting into trouble every time you lose sight of me."

"Is it still an assumption when you know it's true?" Marian asked next, batting her eyelashes at him.

"I'm not even acknowledging this anymore," Nick replied, turning his attention to Judy. "Mom, are you good to check out? They gave Judy the all-clear, and I wanted to pick up her prescriptions and get her back to my place, if she wants to go. If not, some of the other officers offered to put her up—"

"Absolutely," Judy answered with relief, and Nick looked as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders, as well. "I'll call my parents when we get in. You have no idea how much I want to be in my own shower and bed after this long. I might have had sordid fantasies about having a clean pillow."

"Not me, I have some bloodwork yet to do," Marian answered, patting Judy's knee. "Finnick can give me a ride home. He's already on his way. You two get caught up. I'll be home later tonight. Finnick wanted to take me out to dinner."

Judy slid off the bed, and nearly lost her balance. She still felt more than a little tipsy, though some of that was from exhaustion. When she righted herself, she realized several other mammals had come to the door. Behind Nick, John had slunk fully into the room, while the caribou doctor and Skye waited at the door.

"I…I may have overheard the doctor talking," John said, gingerly padding up alongside Nick, who glared openly at him. "Marian?" Judy glanced over her shoulder to see Marian's reaction. If she recognized John, she was giving no hint of it in her expression. "Do you know who I am?"

"A dead animal, last I checked," Marian replied, sniffing softly. "But yes, I know who you are. Your timing is impeccable, as always, John. Show up just in time to ruin the day for these two, and spoil my mood and appetite. Another month or two, and I could have died in peace, not knowing you were a lying bastard."

John looked nervously between Judy and Nick, as though trying to get them to leave. Judy started to walk, but Marian grabbed her arm, keeping her from going.

"You have to understand—" John began.

"No, I really don't," Marian countered angrily. "You walked out on your family. Your son practically lived on the street for most of his life because I couldn't provide a good home for him. I sold everything we owned and worked three jobs to keep food on the table. I doubt there's much you can say to smooth this over. Nick?"

Judy raised a finger to try to get everyone's attention, but across the room, Nick drew his ZPD taser from his belt and held it ready. Dropping her paw and any pretense of playing nice, Judy blurted out, "Everyone take a deep breath, and put the weapons away! I'm not excusing anything he did, but is this something you two can talk through without anyone walking away in pawcuffs?"

Marian sighed and motioned John toward her. "Yes, I suppose so. Let's hear this grand explanation for why you abandoned us, and couldn't even let us know where you went."

As John made his way over, the confident demeanor she had seen in the south was entirely replaced by demure fear. Whether it was an act or not, Judy could not be certain, but the change was remarkable. When he reached the side of the bed, Judy slipped away to give him her spot. To her mild embarrassment, John wiped a bunch of dirt and leaves away from where she had been sitting, reminding her how filthy she was after her time away from the city.

"Marian, I never wanted to leave you two," John began, as Judy made her way over to Nick, with one paw on the wall to help maintain her balance. "This was about duty, and I want you to know that if I could have come back to you, I would have. I was working as a secret agent for the city. Now, if you'll forgive me—"

A yelp froze Judy in her tracks. She glanced up at Nick to find him smirking happily. Turning, she saw that Marian had John's whiskers held in one of her paws and had slammed him face-first onto the bed, using those whiskers as leverage. The absolute calm in her expression belied the panicked attempts John was making to free himself without touching her.

"Oh, no, John, it doesn't work quite like that," Marian was telling him softly, as he squirmed. "These two are far more forgiving than I am, and you knew I was not very forgiving when you left. This is not some Zisney movie, where everyone lives happily ever after every time. You want to make it up to us? It's going to take the rest of my life, and far more work than you're willing to put in, just to get me to accept an apology."

"I'll…try," gasped John, clenching and unclenching his paws as he tried to adjust into a position on the bed where Marian would not have quite as firm of a grip on him. "I'd…I'd settle for…ow…for talking. Please let…dammit that hurts…me explain!"

"I've got this under control," Marian assured Judy and Nick, motioning dismissively toward the door. "Finnick should be here soon to escort him out and bring me home. You two can run along. I'll let you know if he had anything worthwhile to say once I get home."

"I'm sorry again, son!" John shouted, with his face still pressed into the bed.

As he reached down to take Judy's paw, Nick called over his shoulder, "Kiss the shadiest part of my tail, dad."

Turning to the door, Judy found herself face to face with Harry—still wearing an oxygen mask attached to a mobile tank, which he leaned on heavily—who looked pointedly at her paw in Nick's and smiled knowingly. She looked next up at Skye, but she was nervously flinching each time John yelped, while staring at Nick and mouthing the words, "Your dad?"

"Long story that can wait," Nick replied, leading Judy past the two in the doorway. He then added, "It can probably wait about twenty years. Skye, please keep my mom from killing our dad. There's paperwork involved in that."

Together, they left paw-in-paw, and for the first time since summer, Judy felt whole again. Not because she needed to have a partner or boyfriend, but because she needed _Nick_.


	21. Chapter 9-7

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 9.7 – The World Can Change

 **November 5** **th** **, Friday – Home At Last**

"This thing's a lot harder to work on than Skye told me," Nick muttered, as his claws slipped on the collar, scratching Judy's neck.

"You can leave it on for now, if you need more time to figure it out," she told him for the dozenth time, staring past him longingly at the bathroom and its waiting shower. "They did design them not to come off."

"I can pick any lock in this entire city," he reminded her, and she felt the collar click internally, but it did not come off. Deep down, she began to worry about him setting off the electrical charge. Having experienced it more than once, she had no desire to wake up in a pool of her own drool again, despite the entertainment value behind an unending supply of "I told you so" material with Nick if he knocked them both out. "I've almost got it. Besides, I'm not letting your parents see you with this on."

"You're going to hurt yourself if you keep trying," she warned, and as though on cue, he flinched and she smelled a tiny bit of blood. "Can't we call Skye and ask her how it comes off?"

Nick scowled at her, then went back to fighting with the collar. "No. She's not part of the ZBI anymore, so she doesn't have access to their resources. Even if she did, I saw what happened when she removed Zippy's collar. No thanks. I'd rather figure it out myself, rather than take up the 'expert' on it, after she got sixteen stitches."

"Sixteen?" Judy asked, suddenly unable to move anything more than her eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment the collar snapped open. Grinning smugly, he held it up in front of her face. "You were saying?"

"I was saying you're the best reformed criminal I know, Slick," she teased, bouncing on her toes happily. "You mind if I call my parents before I clean up?"

"Anything you want, in any order, Judy." Without any of his more familiar sarcastic joking, he sat down in place and examined the collar in his lap.

"You doing okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You've mostly avoided calling me Carrots, or Fluff, or any other silly name since I got back. You're making me worry about what's going through your head."

Nick smirked and shrugged. "Nothing dire. I just don't know where we sit right now. We have a lot to talk about, but you're jumping right back into life like nothing ever happened. I'm thrilled and a little surprised that you're this okay, but I don't know how to feel past that. I don't even know if you're still my bunny."

Judy's heart melted at the idea that he still had doubts, but she did have to admit she had not cleared up anything. The way he had welcomed her back had left her feeling like she could walk right back into the life she had thought lost until recently. Gingerly, she rested her paws on either side of his face, and lowered herself until she was in the middle of his vision.

"You shouldn't be the one worrying," she chided, smiling nervously. "I did the dumb. I shouldn't have broken it off because of my own insecurities. Am I welcome here at the apartment?"

"Now and as long as you'll stay," he answered, though his wide eyes told her he was not sure that things were resolved in any way.

"Do you still love me?"

Nick blinked rapidly, before cocking his head. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious. I've been gone longer than we were officially dating. You don't know what I had to do down there, or what might have happened with Harry and I. I don't know what came of you and Skye living together. There's a lot of questions that could get in the way of us."

"That's my step-sister you're talking about there."

Judy glared at Nick, before continuing. "I can't make assumptions, and I know you can't, either. Can we start over?"

Nick seemed to contemplate that a while, before shaking his head. "No. I don't think I can. You're asking too much of me. I can't start this over. I just can't do that, and I think that's why I'm struggling so much right now."

Judy's razor-thin resolve collapsed, and she dropped hard onto her knees. A part of her wished the collar was still on, as she felt as broken as she had as a slave. Both paws dropped from Nick's face, and she used what strength she had left not to cry. "Can I at least ask why?"

A small smirk appeared at the edge of Nick's mouth. "Because I already know how I feel, and starting over feels like we're backtracking. I'd rather pick up where we left off, complete with ignoring that nonsense breakup you tried to have."

Judy stared at him, then punched him in the shoulder. "Jerk! You almost killed me in panic!"

"Serves you right, leaving me alone that long," he joked, and licked her on the bridge of her nose. Almost immediately, he gagged and wiped his tongue on his arm. "Right. Filthy. I forgot. Anyway, you left me all alone with five kits, who about tore this place apart, then left me alone with a vixen. Very risky business there."

"Do you not know what the word 'alone' means?"

Ignoring her completely, Nick continued, "I mean, how's a fox supposed to behave when left to his own devices? It's our nature to sneak around and get into trouble. You should expect that I was out dating, maybe showering with my roommate—"

"Your mom?"

"That's not funny, Judy. Not one bit."

"Neither is using Skye to tease me. I've been cuddling with Harry for two months. Don't be mean, or I'll turn it right back on you. We both know we don't want to play that game."

Sighing, Nick reached out and picked her up and put her in a seated position in front of him. "Ok, listen. It goes against every law of nature, but I'm going to tell you the absolute truth, with no attempt to mislead. I'll even volunteer some things I shouldn't."

"Oh, really?" Judy asked, leaning forward expectantly, wiggling her tail. "First time for everything."

"Don't push your luck. Anyway, you wanted me to think long and hard about our future."

"I did. One-hundred percent, Slick."

"I've had two months to think about way too much," he admitted, then paused, as though trying to decide what to spill first. "Having the kits here was amazing. Loved them to death. Now, I can say I want to raise kits with you, no matter how."

"With me?"

"Yes, with you. That's the next part. Don't ever leave me again. Worst two months of my entire life, and this is coming from a street fox. Do you have any idea how often Nimr and Benji invited me to dinner? Those two really make a lonely guy feel worse. So affectionate, and amazing cooks."

Judy narrowed her eyes and glowered at him. "You had a rough time, I can tell. Nothing I went through compares. You do know I was eating weeds to stay alive, right?"

"Point is, I did a lot of soul-searching. I know there's nothing in the world I want more than you here with me. Judith Hopps, will you go out with me? Maybe dinner together sometime? Nothing too serious, mind you."

Laughing, Judy nodded vigorously and tried to kiss Nick, but he flinched and avoided her. Remembering she was dirtier than most Zootopian homeless animals, she pointed toward the bathroom. "I'll just…go shower. The last few months, I've become terrified of anyone touching me. What say we try to work through that phobia once I'm clean?"

"I'm willing to take as long as you need, and give you any distance you need. If you meant that all sexy-like, I'm good with that. If you meant me doing nothing more than brushing down your fur, that's fine, too. You go make your phone calls and shower. I'm going to get things cleaned up for you to move back in. We'll have to work out a few small details, like where Skye's going to sleep now…"

Judy froze, half-standing. "I can see the blankets on the couch."

"That's mom."

Ears flattening back, Judy stared at Nick, waiting for the punchline. When it did not come, she asked, "Spit it out, Nick."

"She's been sleeping in the bedroom with me," he admitted, motioning for her to stop, clearly anticipating her all but attacking him. "Nothing happened, I swear. She got the floor. She got sick, and I was caring for her."

"Is that what we're calling it?"

"No, really," he insisted. "Can you keep this under your ears?"

"If it ends with me not wanting to gut her, sure. I'm taking a lot on faith here, Nick."

Nick swallowed and nodded. "I know you are. Judy, she hit rock bottom. I found her on the streets, being abused…like she had been in the south, all over again, but here. That sort of thing isn't supposed to happen in Zootopia."

Judy sat back down, the worry and anger radiating off of Nick telling her there was no question he was being truthful. "How bad?"

"Drugs, for starters," he explained, ears tilting back. "That's why she was in the bedroom—again, on the floor, not the bed. Withdrawals were bad. I ended up having to restrain her when she slept to keep her from tearing at her fur for almost a week. She still gets the shakes sometimes, but that's all that's left of it. I did what I could to make it right, Judy. I know you're probably not happy that she was in the bedroom—"

Leaning forward, Judy kissed him on the muzzle. "I trust you. If I could learn to trust having Harry in bed with me for two months, I can trust that you didn't do anything with Skye."

"Harry was…in your… I mean… That's fine," Nick lied, trying to hide twitches along his muzzle.

"He's a perfect gentlebun, and never tried anything, ever," she assured him, and the relief was obvious in his sigh. "Besides, he's too obsessed with Skye to ever so much as look at me. Those two are just a mess."

"Right. Glad we're so well adjusted."

Giggling, Judy got up and headed down the hall and picked up Nick's phone on the way toward the bathroom. She checked to make sure there was a towel and more than enough furpoo there for her—and saw a separate set of soaps for Skye, which made Judy's eye twitch a little. Finding enough furpoo and towels to possibly get herself clean, she went back into the hall to call her parents.

The phone rang twice, before it picked up in a video call with her father. As soon as he came on the screen, he was glaring at the camera.

"You have a lot of gall, fox!" he snapped, then blinked and nearly dropped the phone. "Jude? Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me, dad," she answered smiling happily. "I probably look awful…"

"I don't care if you're shaved, this is the happiest call I've ever gotten. Bonnie! Bonnie, get in here!"

Within a minute, a dozen bunnies crowded around the camera, all shouting their greetings and questions over top of one another. Judy let them go on for a bit, until it seemed as though family would keep pouring into the room, allowing no one to actually have a conversation.

"Guys," she tried to cut in, but they kept talking. "Guys!"

The group all went quiet at once, staring at her.

"I've got a really big request," she began, peeking down the hall. Nick passed by, carrying fresh sheets for the bed, but he did not seem to be listening in. "I want to see everyone. The apartment is way too small for the whole family. Are you all still doing the post-harvest feast in a couple weeks?"

"Of course we are, bun bun," her mother said, picking up and moving some of the younger bunnies who kept getting between her and the camera. "Full extended family. Should be everyone here. We weren't planning on you being there for obvious reasons, but things change."

"I'm guessing there's no objection to me coming home for the party?"

Most of her family members laughed at that, and Stu grabbed the phone. "Jude, just come home. It's gonna be hard not to drive out there right now. We sure as heck aren't going to say no to having you back for the seasonal feast. When can we see you, and if you say not 'til then, we're going to have words."

"The feast is for the whole family, including extended family, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "Anyone even loosely affiliated with a Hopps? Even if they aren't getting involved in the community party the day before?"

"Of course. More the merrier. Jack's planning on making the trip, so you can always ride out with him."

"I'll be bringing Nick and possibly his mother with me," she said, and the cheerful chatter died out. A few of the younger bunnies looked around, clearly confused as to what the concern was, while her mother gave Stu another annoyed stare, almost daring him to object. "We'll plan on staying for the full festival, but not really attending the…you know…the pre-party."

"All…week?" asked Stu, and Judy definitely caught the nudge her mother gave him. "That's, uh, great."

"I really need to get cleaned up, but I wanted you all to know I'm okay. Once I get some sleep, I'll call you back, probably tomorrow. I've got so much to tell you all. Maybe we can meet up Sunday."

Finishing out the call, Judy set the phone on the hall stand, and headed into the shower. She stayed in there, soaking in the water until it was ice cold, and well after that. She had not been able to clean her fur in months, and it was soothing to wash away the filth, even if it was in cold water. With a half dozen rain storms a day in the south, the cold water did not bother her as much as it once would have. Three times, she went through furpooing and rescrubbing every inch, until her skin was almost raw. At long last, she could not justify a fourth round, and spent another twenty minutes fighting her way through her fur tangles with her brush. Many spots were painful to work on, especially with existing scrapes, but she wanted to feel "normal" again, and that meant smoothing her fur in that moment. Most importantly, it meant pretending the last two months had never happened, so that she could function in society again. Finally, she had all the knots out of her fur, and let the fur driers do their work, ridding her of the last of the water. While she dried, she set to brushing her teeth, which was nearly as bad of an ordeal as her fur had been, after a long stint of poor diets and hygiene—though she was not looking forward to days of chewing on a bite-stick to wear down her teeth to a proper length. That was followed by sanding down her normally-small claws on both fore and hind paws, which were overgrown and chipped.

Hopping onto the closed toilet so she could see herself in the mirror, Judy spot-checked herself without clothes. She did look like herself at long last, but now so much older and dangerously thin. She had been through so much, so many hardships that she had not imagined existing. On some level, she worried that Nick might not find her appealing anymore, but she had to trust that he was not so shallow. Nervously, she traced the large scar on her stomach, which she really needed a cover story for, sooner or later. That was followed by examining the thin fur on her neck, where the collar had worn it almost down to skin.

 _He said he still loves me_ , she assured herself, smiling and forcing her ears up to boost her confidence. _I'm pretty scruffy right now, but he'll look past that. Time to let him know how much I missed him, and hope I don't fall asleep before I tell him how I feel. Don't flinch, don't panic, he's not going to try to hurt you, Judy. You're back home, where it's safe. No one here wants to hurt you._

Grinning, Judy jumped down off the toilet and went to the bathroom door, choosing to leave behind her change of clothing. She knew how much she had dreamt of being reunited with Nick, so she had to assume he was in much the same mindset. A little romance never hurt anyone, especially after so long apart, even if all she was really in the mood for was some cuddling and a week of sleep. Plus, some teasing would help her feel like things were back to normal, and reassure her that she was not as awful-looking as she felt. Most importantly, feeling vulnerable without fear of actually having someone try to kill and eat her was the fastest way she could think of to put the unspoken worries from the south behind her.

"Nick," she called out, throwing open the door and bounding into the hall, naked. She headed straight toward the front room. "I've made up my mind. We're going to cuddle until I pass out from exhaustion, and that's my final offer. Play your cards right, and I might even let you put on that stupid bootleg porno you keep on the bookshelf, but I'm not going to promise more than watching."

Judy froze as she reached the junction between the hall and the front room mid-stride, her ears rigidly upright for half a second, before she dropped them forward to attempt to cover herself. Standing in the doorway were Skye, Marian, and even Finnick. The whole group stared wide-eyed at Judy, while Nick stood near the couch, a hopeless look of dismay on his face as he glanced frantically between them.

Subtly, Finnick raised his phone, but Skye put a paw over the camera. The two glared at each other, but Finnick finally slid his phone back into his pocket.

"I think the original plan of dinner out may be in order," Marian announced, pushing Skye behind her, toward the door. "Anyone else for…anywhere but here?"

"Anywhere else," Skye answered quickly.

Finnick looked up at Marian, then back to Judy. "I mean, we could go out…or…"

Marian caught Finnick by the ear, and led him out, along with Skye.

"And that is how my family can ruin anything," Nick said sadly, throwing his arms up and letting them drop. "I'm sorry, Judy. I think we're going to need to look into getting a bigger place at this rate."

Judy took a while to convince her muscles to unlock, but when they did, she began giggling and found she could not control herself anymore. The laughter came in waves, until she was in tears, sitting on the floor, barely aware that she was still naked.

Watching her initially with worry, Nick slowly broke into laughter of his own. "I'm going to hear about this forever, aren't I?"

Still laughing, Judy nodded, flopping her ears around. Slowly, she got control of her mirth, but giggles still slipped out between breaths. "I need about two days of sleep. You coming? I'm not doing anything where they can walk in again."

Nick raced to her, and swept her up in his arms. "Wouldn't dream of letting you go anywhere else without me. Everything okay with your parents?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said, as he took her into the bedroom and set her down on the fresh sheets. "We can talk about that tomorrow, ok?"

"Your dad isn't still going to try shooting me, is he?" Nick asked, as he kicked off his outer clothing layers. To her absolute joy, he slid into bed and did not try to rush into anything. Instead, he nuzzled near her ears with his nose, and gently began tracing his claws through her fur. More than anything, he seemed interested in holding her, which was about all her nerves could handle. The touch of his claws and having his muzzle close still triggered a deep panic reaction in her, but she managed to keep it suppressed.

"I can't promise that he won't shoot you," she replied, smiling into his neck fur. "Let's play it by ear."

That evening, they made love about as drastically different from their first time as possible. Whereas that had been a thrill and intense, their reunion was tender and gentle, lasting well into the night. Hours later, Judy fell asleep stuck in his arms, not even sure—or caring—whether the others had come back.

This was her family. This was her home. This was where she belonged, forever. The doubts were finally gone.


	22. Interlude

Author's note:

Dear readers, please remember that this is a labor of love. While I'd love to get donations on my (site they won't let me say, but starts with a P) page to keep going, that's not the goal here. I am trying to give a good story to the community. Be mindful of that when leaving comments. I know most readers mean well, even when the text looks harsh. I try to keep that in mind, but I've gotten some hateful things sent to me as private notes on various sites lately.

As examples…

"OMG, this is awful! How could you do this?!"

Vs

"OMG, this is awful! How could you do this to the characters?! I can't wait to see what happens next!"

Both of the above mean the same thing, but one is clearly a reader having a panic attack as they worry about where the story is going next (a good thing) and the other can be easily read as an attack on the quality of the story (even if it isn't). We only have the text to go on when we get notes, so if we authors are having a bad day/week as happens to the best of us, we're going to see it in the worst light.

That's all. I just wanted to clear the air after some drama on DA recently. Chapter 10 will be along in a couple weeks. Patrons can already start reading it!


	23. Chapter 10-1

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.1 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **November 11** **th** **, Thursday Early Evening – Savannah Central**

"And this one is the last on the list for today," drawled the marmot realtor, motioning toward the squat three story building that lay near the outer walls, nestled among the older structures there. Her last shred of pretend enthusiasm had faded an hour earlier, and with the snowfall, Judy could not entirely blame her. "Once we finish this tour, we'll need to call off the search for the day. We can pick back up on your next available opening, officer."

Nick said nothing as he stared at the building, paws in his pockets. He had been like that through the last few condos and townhouses, mostly letting himself be underestimated by the realtor. He had not even bothered to mention that he, too, was an officer. Judy was on to his tricks, even if others were not. The Hawaiian shirt only helped convince the realtor that he was definitely not the money in the relationship. Unfortunately, that combined with being older than Judy had led to the realtor treating Judy as though she were a single-earner in a relationship based around Nick sponging off her ZPD wages—thankfully, the realtor had not flat-out called Judy Nick's sugar-momma, despite it being implied several times.

Adjusting her jacket and shirt collar habitually to keep her thin neck fur from being visible, Judy eyed the building and shrugged. "Doesn't look like much. How's the layout for the condos inside? What's the neighborhood like? Can we get a condo with at least two bedrooms, if not more?"

The realtor checked her notes and shook her head. "Not condos. This was the only single-family home on your list. Not much neighborhood to speak of. Nearest residence is about a city block away. This one's really isolated, though it does seem to have easy road access. Wonder if the city intended to expand this neighborhood and forgot."

Judy squinted up at the building, reevaluating the whole thing. If it were filled with condos, it was small, only housing at most ten separate residences. As a single home, it was massive, and undoubtedly pushing well past their price range, no matter how old or decrepit it might be. Shy of water damage or structural problems, there was little chance they could afford it. She certainly had not put any houses on the list to see, so that must have been Nick's doing. Given the sticker-shock she had gone through everywhere in Savannah Central, she doubted there was any chance of this being the place for them, but with no time left to go somewhere else, she resigned herself to window-shopping.

"I'll go find the keys," the realtor told them, and headed up the front stairs. "I can't say I've ever showed a house in this area, so this should be interesting."

Once the marmot was gone, Judy walked over beside Nick, who was still staring at the building with his paws in his coat pockets. "We agreed nothing goes on the list that we can't attempt to buy. I know you hid a lot away, but unless there's a smoking crater inside or a sewage leak, this is probably well outside our price range. That, or you have a _lot_ more hidden away than I know about."

"I don't have nearly as much hidden as one might hope," he admitted, raising his sunglasses. "With mom's treatments and old condo, I've got a little under two hundred thousand bucks, and that's being generous. Had Mister Big not paid for almost everything while you were away, I'd have nothing left. Mom needs a better place than I have, and so long as Skye's with us, we have to find something, or we're going to be stacking animals up on the kitchen table and calling it a bedroom. What'd that last townhouse we looked at cost?"

"Three hundred thousand," she said softly, feeling more out of place in the city than she had since moving there. That much would have been enough to rebuild her parents' burrow, though prices in Bunnyburrow were very different from the city. "And it had two bedrooms, instead of the three we wanted, and only one bathroom. I'm all for cutting things off our list, but this is getting rough. We might be able to afford the last one, but money will be tight for a while. We may need to look farther out in one of the other districts at this rate."

"We're here already, so let's check it out." Nick shrugged and began up the walk toward the marmot, who was waiting on the front step with the keys.

Judy hesitated a little longer, taking in the surroundings. With their tight budget and income, she had seen some truly rough neighborhoods, especially given that they were trying to be near the precinct, which limited their options. Given that Savannah Central was one of the more expensive places to live, in a sense, they were looking at the worst of the best Zootopia had to offer, and still not quite finding anything they could afford. She had no idea how the other officers managed, unless they were driving a lot farther each morning.

"You can do this, Judy," she assured herself, attempting to motivate her paws to start moving. "Step one is getting him into a real home for himself and mom, so she's not living out her last days on a couch. You came to the city broke, so be ready to be broke for a good cause. At least you know this house probably isn't going to be the one."

Steeling herself for more disappointment, she hurried as fast as she could with her paws sliding on the icy ground after Nick, who was already at the door waiting. The realtor had unlocked the door for them, but unlike previous locations, she did not step in ahead, and in fact motioned for them both to go in without her.

"Special instructions on this one," the realtor explained, holding up the key, with a dangling note on it. "Home owner has asked that visitors explore on their own, unguided, and I'm to wait outside. First time for that instruction, but I've seen weirder in this city. Go on in, and I'll be here to try and answer any questions when you're done."

Nick gave Judy a questioning glance, then opened the door and stepped inside. He froze almost immediately, and Judy ended up having to push aside his tail with her hind paw to walk in after him. Once she was alongside him, she stopped as well, staring at the surroundings.

The home was not the dilapidated mess she had expected, but was instead well-kept and lightly furnished. From the entryway, she could see a lounge room and large dining room off to her right, as well as a small apartment-like bedroom at the end of a hall to her left. Straight ahead, a polished wood staircase rose to the upper floor's balcony, and at least five doors were within sight of where she stood. A huge window set into the east wall would have illuminated both the hall and most of the upper floor, were it not so late in the evening. Everything was polished and gorgeous.

"This is so far out of our price range, it's not even funny," Nick whispered, frowning deeply. "Absolutely what we're looking for, but not something we can afford. Good intentions, Fluff, but I'm going to have to shoot this one down."

Judy turned sharply to stare at Nick. "I didn't pick this place. I thought you did."

Nick shook his head. Turning to leave, he added, "Probably just a wrong address or something. If I did choose it, I definitely don't remember this on the website."

The desire to explore nagged at Judy, but she knew the longer she stayed in the place, the more she would want to keep staying there. The hardwood floors were freshly waxed, and even the rug under her bare paws was soft. A quick glance at the apartment room—which would have been ideal for Marian—revealed that either the furnishings were new, or cleaned so well as to appear new. There were even paintings on the walls of the Meadowlands, one of the more picturesque parts of the city for a farm-bunny like herself.

"Hey, I think there was some confusion," Nick was saying to their realtor, as he leaned on the doorframe. "This one's a little nicer than we expected. What's the price for it?"

The realtor checked a clipboard she carried, and without a hint of humor, replied, "Two and a quarter million. Owned by the city and viewings are restricted. Actually, not sure how we ended up on this list. I don't see anyone else on the viewing list for the week. You know someone at city hall that might have arranged it?"

Judy could see a muscle along Nick's neck twitch as he fought to keep from laughing or crying. Somehow, he managed to maintain his composure, but she had to duck behind the door to keep her shock at the price from being easily visible to the realtor, until she caught her breath.

"Yeah, that might be a bit high," he told the marmot, smiling slightly. "If it's being sold by the city, is that negotiable? Very negotiable, maybe?"

The marmot adjusted her glasses and stared up at Nick, while Judy watched from inside the doorway. "Sir, the price is set for the property. I'll admit, I don't sell to many _foxes_ in this part of town, so if we need to schedule a tour somewhere else, I can probably get something set up for Happytown or the Canal District. Those areas might be more…appropriate."

Whether he was angry or not, Judy certainly was. She pulled Nick's paw off the doorframe, and shoved him aside to take his place in front of their realtor. "We'll do a quick tour. Shouldn't take too long. You can wait here…in the cold."

Judy did not wait for a response before slamming the door on the realtor. Turning so her back was to the door, she searched Nick's face for how he was handling the latest round of hatred toward his species, but as expected, he was hiding it under a mask of complete calm. That told her as much as most mammal's tempers. If he was too calm, he was probably upset.

"We can look," Judy assured him, but Nick's calm gave her nothing to go on. He was really unhappy. "Tour how some rich animal lived. Maybe get a few laughs along the way. Once you don't want to take her face off, we can go home and have a few drinks with mom."

"Sure, that's fine," Nick mumbled, shoving his paws back in his pockets and staring at nothing in particular. "It'll be fun."

Judy knew Nick was going to be pretty much on autopilot, so she led the way, letting him follow her as she headed into the first floor bedroom. There, she stopped and eyed the bar already attached to the wall near the bed, to help an elderly animal stand without falling. In one corner, a private bathroom lay, complete with still-wrapped soap, toothpaste, and fresh towels, as though the owner of the home was trying to appeal to visitors to use the bathroom immediately.

"This is kind of creepy, Judy," Nick said behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw him draw his service pistol, which let her know he felt the same way she did—it could be some kind of trap. Things were a little too weird, especially with the knowledge that no one else was allowed inside.

"I know," she answered, peeking into the bathroom. There was no hint anyone had ever used the place, despite it being ready for use. In fact, it smelled as though there had been recent construction. "Who sets up their house like this, even for a showing?"

"That's not what I meant at all. Look at this."

Judy turned back to the bedroom, and found Nick was holding the edge of the bed's blanket. He held it up and explained, "That's the same pattern we had on mom's bed when I was growing up. Even the wallpaper's similar. And the pictures…they're of our old neighborhood."

Judy looked up at the photos on the walls, and realized the oldest ones were of a section of the Canal District, while newer ones were of Happytown. Some were recent enough she could recognize the exact location, but many were ten or twenty years old, depicting buildings long gone. The Meadowlands ones she had seen initially were situated so that someone lying in bed could see them, while the others were less obvious, until one was wandering the room.

"Please tell me this isn't your old home," Judy told him in passing, as she went back out into the hall. There, she ran her fingers over the paneled walls, as she made her way around to the dining room. She stopped again when she saw the table there, and her ears fell flat. With effort, she forced them back up, so she could be more aware of anyone sneaking up on her. "Niiick? Come here, right now!"

The pattering of his hind paws let her know he was running to catch up, and after a moment, he stopped behind her, one paw on her shoulder.

"What the… This doesn't make sense," he said, voicing her own thoughts.

The room in front of them was far longer than it appeared from outside, running easily as far back as the entire length of hall in their apartment complex. Polished wood beams supported a cathedral ceiling over a lengthy dining table. None of that was what startled Judy, though. It was the fact that the table was surrounded by twenty-five bunny-sized chairs, and five slightly larger ones she would have called fox-sized. Nowhere in the city had combinations of furniture like that by sheer dumb luck, let alone a home.

"We absolutely walked into a horror movie," Nick told her softly, putting his muzzle between her upright ears. She had no doubt he was looking around nervously, if only for effect for an audience that existed only in his own mind. "I'm betting there's bodies hanging upstairs, or in the basement."

"Don't be silly," she chided, despite feeling a painful clenching of her stomach. Memories of things Rolen had told her during her captivity came unbidden to mind, and she had to work to keep her paw away from her own pistol. "There's probably not a basement."

They turned together and hurried back into the hall, where Nick set about clearly searching for a door into a possible basement by opening several hall closets.

Judy, in turn, made her way into the lounge room, which was set up with a pair of couches, and built-in sound system. What it lacked was a television at the head, which seemed odd, given the detailed work elsewhere. In noticing that, she realized the room had been arranged such that three couches would have been possible, but a large gap existed where the third would go. Even more disturbing, the two couches were the same style as the one in the front room of Nick's apartment, which was still new.

Not wanting to feed into Nick's paranoia, but getting more than a little paranoid herself, she wandered to one of the shaded windows of the room. Deep down, she wondered if she was about to find barred windows, but both were unbarred and clear. She laughed at her own nervousness and tapped the window with her knuckles, only to be surprised by the lack of give in the glass. Leaning sideways, she could see that the window was nearly as thick as her finger was long.

"Bulletproof glass in a house window?" she asked, backing away quickly. "Whoever owned this place was serious about security."

"Fluff!" Nick shouted from the hallway. "No bodies, but it's weirder!"

Judy ran to join him in the hall, and found Nick standing between two closed doors, his paws clasped behind his back, ears straight up, and eyes wide. She slid to a stop beside him on the smooth floor.

"Closets?" she asked, motioning toward the doors.

"Oh, no, that'd be too expected," he assured her, gesturing toward another door, closer to the entrance. "That one's the closet. Really nice. Hangers and everything, plus one jacket. The one on my left? That's the basement. Fully finished, from what I could see without going down. Looks like it might be as big as the first floor."

Judy's attention went to the second door, a short distance from the basement entrance. "Then what's that?"

"Funny you should ask," he said, putting one paw on the handle. "This one was locked."

"That's not weird, Nick."

"No, but how many doors do you find in homes with two deadbolts, a regular lock, a magnetic lock, and a remote alarm? Oh, and all of the locks are to keep anyone in the house from reaching what's behind the door."

Judy's eyes widened and she walked over to stare at the edge of the door. Sure enough, she could see the extra locks in the gap between the door and wall. All were in the unlocked position. "I thought you said it was locked?"

"Was," he reiterated, holding up his lockpick set. "What's inside is stranger. Don't worry, I disarmed the alarm, too."

"Nick! This isn't our house and we can't break into things without getting in trouble!"

"Oh, trust me, no one's going to report this."

Growling softly, Judy popped the door open an inch. At first, she saw only a staircase down, but then realized she was seeing a long hallway, lit by flickering old light bulbs. The far end of the hall ended in a solid-looking metal door, which had a camera mounted over it. Unlike everything else, the hallway had bare cement walls.

"There's a dungeon in the basement?" she asked, quickly closing the door. She put her back to the door, wondering what might come out after her if she kept it open.

"No, but that was what I thought at first, too." Nick relocked the deadbolts before continuing. "That, my darling bunny, is an entrance to the district wall. Residents aren't allowed to know about these hidden entrances. ZBI and government secret. Skye showed me one of them when we were first getting roped into helping the agency. This house is technically a government secret, and the last line of defense against someone gaining access to the old store rooms of the walls."

"So why is the city selling it?" she asked, letting her shoulders sink in confusion.

"A truly excellent question," came a male voice from above them. "Not the right question, but an excellent one."

Judy drew her pistol and backed up quickly so she could see who was up on the second floor balcony, near the bedrooms, though Nick was able to see from where he was, judging by his muttered curse. Leaned on the guardrail was John Wilde, dressed in a suit that he looked decidedly uncomfortable in. The dark blue fabric of the suit made the red of his fur stand out starkly.

"I had to make a few modifications after coming back, and enlist some help to get it cleaned up," John continued, as he casually moved toward the stairs. "Did you know the ZBI is tasked with guarding these buildings for all time? Pretty serious business back in the day, though now we need to be more worried about bombs and artillery, so walls don't mean as much. We usually seal these places up and forget about them. Skye wasn't high enough ranking to get the list of the places, or who had been assigned to each. With so many agents gone, I'm probably the only one who knows this place still exists, or has a list of all of them. The mayor's been taking away some of our safe houses, but these can't be taken from us. It's actually illegal for the mayor to know their location. I am legally required to lie to the government or courts about them."

"Let's go, Fluff," Nick muttered, backing toward the front door. "I heard enough self-righteous preaching in the south. I don't need to hear it here, too."

John chuckled and shook his head as he reached the stop of the steps. "Can I at least tell you a story, before I leave you alone forever, Nick?"

"Does it involve you getting shot?" Nick asked. "It might be essential to getting me to listen."

"Oh, that happened more than its fair share," John admitted, grinning down at them. "Judy, could you help here? I've waited more than twenty years to get this off my shoulders. I just need a few minutes, and neither of you ever has to see me again. Recent events make this direly important."

Judy shrugged and slid her pistol back into her holster, under the back of her jacket. "This is between you two. You saved my life in the south. I'll happily hear you out, but if my boyfriend leaves, so do I. I don't want to be rude, but I'm his ride."

Stopping where he was, John slowly sat down on the top step. "Nick, if you won't hear me out for your own sake, would you do it for Marian?"

"Do _not_ talk about her to manipulate me," Nick warned angrily, and Judy quickly put a paw on his arm to calm him. To her relief, he holstered his own pistol, though his temper did not seem to wane. "She lost everything because of you. We lost the house, her savings, her hopes and dreams. All she had was me and my brother. Everything else, you took from her."

John nodded and hung his head. "Trust me, I know…other than the brother part. I'm still a bit confused about the fennec. That one's not my doing, and I can say that with a fair degree of certainty. When I left, the departure was supposed to be temporary. Given that I came from Ursian lands, the ZBI maintained tabs on me, even after I got my citizenship and married your mother. They used the ever-famous, 'it's for the good of the city' line. One month, maybe two, and I'd be home and be allowed to tell you both what had happened. The hazard pay was more than I'd ever seen…more than I would make in a year here, especially as young as I was, payable in the first month. If something happened to me and I didn't live through the mission, the pay doubled. We needed that money, Nick. Foxes couldn't get decent jobs, so we were desperate. They even let me set up a business in Happytown that I could run when I returned. Wilde Times, I was going to call it. I think, technically, I still own the building. I really should check on that."

Snarling, Nick began pacing the hall, though he did not try to get past Judy as she situated herself at the base of the steps. "It took her almost a year to lose the house, and get us moved into an apartment on the worst end of town. How's that hazard pay working out for you? We sure never saw it."

"I know," John said sadly. "That's one of the catches. The agency pays out when you return from a mission, or when you die. I was alive, but couldn't finish the job. Some hothead decided to go after Rolen's grandparents during one of our missions. Once that was set in motion, I was stuck, and had to help the next team going after Rolen's parents, and then him. Twenty-four years, I only left Ursian lands twice. The second was to bring Skye here, so she didn't die in the south, for all the good that did me, with her going right back. She's as stubborn as you."

"And the first?" Judy asked over her shoulder, while trying to keep an eye on Nick, so he did not try to kill his own father.

"They assigned me a safe house in the city, for any animals I sent back as refugees," he explained to them, spreading his paws to indicate the house around them. "My sacred trust. They gave me one of the secret buildings to furnish as I saw fit. I told them to invest my savings in preparing it for my family. Before I came back last week, Nick's room was still set up for a kit. Marian and I's room is at the end of the balcony, and has a fine view of the setting sun through its windows, though I redecorated that one for you two and the downstairs room for her. The attic can be remodeled as more living space, too. Nick, I swear to you, I was told the house would be given to you two twenty-some years ago…when I was declared dead. I walked away, thinking I'd done the best thing I could for you both. Had I known…"

"You don't get to be sad and mopey about this!" Nick yelled back. "She's dying, and they tell me it's something they don't see north of the border. You've left her alone all these years, and now you show up in her last days, expecting us to welcome you back? Go choke on a furball. Get out of my life, John."

Judy stepped past Nick to look out the window near the door, to see if the realtor had reacted to his outburst, but she was pacing, unaware. Apparently the windows were soundproofed, too.

"You think I'm not grieving every day for what I failed to do for both of you, and what I inadvertently did to her?" John yelled right back. "I'm doing what I can, now. It doesn't make up for it, but it's all I can do. I've helped your mother, but I can't seem to get through to you."

Judy's ears shot up at the phrasing, and turned back to John and Nick. "You helped Marian? How?"

Reaching into his suit coat, John pulled out a stack of badly-battered pages with tattered edges. "You were close, Nick. So damned close. These journals were pointing you in the right direction. The problem is, the cases they've seen before were Ursians, bringing the genetic version of the illness with them. Canine Lung, they call it where I came from. The virus changes itself rapidly with each generation. What you have in these notes is where the virus started. The version I have—and your mother caught from me—is mutated heavily. Doctor Tuktu needed a cure to something very different from what you were studying. She needed me. I was vaccinated when I was a teen, before I moved to Zootopia, which means I have antibodies they can study. Never thought it was still catchy, but apparently it is. I've spoken with Doug, and provided enough blood samples to produce vaccines for both of you. He's already got the customized vaccine being synthesized. A few more tests, and your mother gets it. You get it next. I've already contacted Cyndi about working with the hospitals in the south to begin importing a few doses of the vaccine, and Katrina will handle the shipments. No one else is ever getting this disease again, if I can help it. I lost my grandfather to it. Your great-grandfather."

Judy felt her own concern over John's past fade rapidly, and looked toward Nick. His rage was hollowed out, and he appeared entirely crestfallen. "Crimson…John, I think I can speak for Nick when I say thank you. Marian means the world to us both. That's all we could ask of you. Going the extra distance to help Nick and anyone else who didn't know they were in danger is wonderful."

"Oh, that's not all I'm doing," John told them, smiling. "I'm the ZBI director now. I'm not an agent. No more hiding, and no more secret activities. I know he won't ask, but if you need anything for the ZPD, call me, Judy. Being visible to the public means no more safe houses, either. I've liberated this house from the ZBI. This house was always supposed to be Nick's. If he won't accept it from me, I'd like you to be the new owner, Judy. I only have one condition."

Judy checked on Nick, and he looked almost ready to fall over. Reaching up, she took his paw, before returning her attention to John. "If that condition is him and Marian forgiving you, I can't promise it. They both hold a grudge pretty well."

"Don't I know it?" John replied, with a smirk. "I wouldn't forgive me, either. By the bear, don't even tell Marian I was involved. Let me be dead and gone as far as she's concerned. Probably better for everyone. My condition is that I want you to help Skye get back on her paws. There's a furnished apartment in the basement. It's pretty stark and has an armory hidden somewhere I won't reveal. She'll love it, until she's ready to move on. She's a good kit, even if she's a pain in the tail. Means well, even if she makes all the wrong choices."

"You're giving us a home that's too much for our needs," Nick finally said, shaking his head. "I've worked for everything I have in life. I won't take this. Two million bucks is too generous, even after all you owe us."

John got up from the top step and began making his way down to them. "I thought you'd say something like that. Nick, this isn't a hand-out. It's been yours and your mother's since it was assigned to me fifteen years ago. It was denied to you by some idiot's bad handling of paperwork. Maybe mine. I don't even know. The paperwork is already being submitted, and you will be the owner by morning. I've got someone faking a lottery win for you to cover for where the money came from. As for it being too much, I've seen how large the Hopps family is. Checked up on them, to make sure my boy wasn't getting involved with a bad sort, even if I'm still not sure about this whole bunnies and foxes thing. Adopting or not, there's going to be a lot of bunnies in this place. Consider this the Hopps burrow within the city. With some planning, I bet you can host twenty or more bunnies, as long as they're fine with being cuddly. Once Skye moves out, the basement can be converted to house another thirty, maybe a craft room, a shooting range, or something. The attic, probably another twenty. This is what I hope will one day be considered the family ancestral home. It was never, and will never, be mine. I lost that chance. Be better to your family than I was to mine. Be the better fox, Nick. I think you already are, even if you're not ready to admit it."

Without another word, John turned to leave. He got halfway to the door, before Judy knew she could not let the kind gesture go without some reply, though she doubted Nick was in an emotional place to do so.

Running to John, Judy swept him into a hug, with her arms barely above his waist. "Thank you."

"It's just a house," John told her, gently hugging her back. "Damn, you're strong, Hopps. Going to hurt me if you squeeze any tighter. No wonder Rolen was running scared."

"Not for the house," Nick added from behind her, and Judy realized he had picked up on her thoughts. "Thank you for saving mom, and for explaining. I've needed to know what happened for a long time. I'm not any less angry, but I understand. More than anything, thank you for what you did for mom. I'd have given anything to make that happen, and I certainly tried to."

Patting Judy until she took a step away, John walked toward Nick, holding out one paw. "I would have, too. She's a good vixen, and she deserved far better than me. I kind of hoped she found that better someone while I was away. Let's at least part on civil terms, with a pawshake. I'd like to think my boy could at least tolerate my existence as I move on."

For a long time, Judy stood by as Nick stared at the offered paw skeptically. To her surprise, he finally stepped up and grabbed his father in a hug. The shock was as evident on John's face, though he eventually relaxed and returned the hug.

At long last, John pried himself free of Nick and smiled at each of them in turn. "Thank you both. I'll get out of your lives now. With luck, the only place you'll ever see me from here on out is on television giving prepared statements, and at Rolen's trial."

Nick shook his head. "We'll meet again. Not soon, but in time. I'll need a while to put aside a long list of really awful things I've wanted to do to you since I was shorter than Judy, but once I can think about this all rationally, I'll want to talk again. Doing stupid and almost unforgivable things is all too common to the males in our family. If I held it against you forever, Carrots would have an excuse for punishing me for years."

"Years, huh?" John asked, smirking. "Been meaning to ask. How long have you two been together? You remind me of a lot of old married couples, but I keep hearing every term other than spouse batted around."

"Four months," Judy answered.

At exactly the same time, Nick replied, "A year last April."

Cocking her head to stare at Nick, Judy asked, "April? What was in April?"

"You were still in the hospital while your leg healed," he reminded her. "That was when I took you out for the ride around town on the train. Might not have been official, but cuddling for five hours, and a kiss on the cheek counts, right?"

Judy's surprise faded into sentimental mushiness in her heart. "April it is. There might have been a few breaks along the way, but a year, seven months we're now calling it."

"Huh," John said softly, eyebrows up. "Be thankful I wasn't around for bad advice. By this point, I'd have been prodding you to get married, before some buck sweeps her away. It's not like we Wildes are overly charming."

"I…uh…dad, don't," Nick stammered, looking nervously between John and Judy. "I mean, we're taking things slow. She's been through a lot lately, and I don't want any pressure. Besides, I'm plenty charming."

"The bunny's charming," John countered. "You're too much like me, but without a nice suit. What's with the Hawaiian shirts? You didn't get that fashion sense from either of your parents."

"A hustler's suit," Nick explained, shrugging.

Snorting, John turned his attention to Judy and took a knee. "Don't let him get away with anything. Our family has a long history of getting in over their ears in trouble. There's stories about how much we did wrong, dating all the way back to Britain on his mother's side. Different family name then, but same antics. If he ever tries to steal from the rich to give to the poor…"

"Already might have done that once or twice," Nick admitted, looking a bit sheepish.

"Never mind then," John added, scowling at Nick, before returning his attention to Judy. "Be good to my boy. I know you will be, but it's about all I can think of that I should be saying as his father."

"No promises," she told him, winking, before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. "Thank you again, Crimson."

"John," he corrected, hugging her back. "I get to finally be John again. That's going to take some getting used to, but I really missed getting to use my real name. Crimson is finally retired, as he should have been twenty years ago."

Once goodbyes had been said, leaving Judy wondering if they really would ever see John again, or how Nick might react if they did, the elder fox reached into the closest nearest the door and pulled out a coat. Slipping it on over his suit, he put on a matching hat, and picked up an umbrella.

"Give me a day or two," he told them both, as he adjusted his coat. "The paperwork and key will arrive by courier. You won't have to see me for that, either."

"John," Judy called out, as he went to the front door.

"Dad," Nick said right after, but John opened the door anyway, without looking back.

Standing on the porch, the realtor jumped a little at John's approach, and she did a double-take, glancing inside at Nick. Judy did not miss the significance of the look to Nick—the marmot was not confident that John was not Nick. To her, the two foxes were not unique enough to easily distinguish. The idea of spending all evening leading a mammal around without being able to tell them from a stranger was absurd to Judy, after having hundreds of siblings, all of whom she knew with a moment's glance. This was insulting even to her, and she had no idea how Nick dealt with it every day.

"I'm sorry, but this was supposed to be a private showing," the realtor said, focusing on John, as he walked out and eyed the falling snow. "Who are you?"

"Me?" asked John, grinning broadly. "Oh, I'm no one important. Last showing ran a bit over. Those two lovebirds in there sound like they're considering the house. Play your cards right, and I'm guessing there's a good commission in it for you out of whatever nest egg they're using to buy it."

The three of them watched John leave, before the realtor turned back to Nick and Judy. "You two are interested?"

"It looks that way," Nick replied, smiling at Judy.


	24. Chapter 10-2

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.2 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **November 17** **th** **, Wednesday – City Central Courthouse**

"You up to this, Fluff?" Nick asked, as he carefully smoothed his dress uniform's tie. "Officer Fluff, sorry. Gotta be professional today, or at least pretend."

"I am," she replied, climbing up on the step near the lobby windows Nick had been checking himself in. She shoved his paws off the tie, and adjusted the knot he had meticulously worked on. "And that's Captain Fluff to you. Please tell me you remembered you got promoted, too?"

"Don't remind me," he grumbled, cocking his head to try and see the tie. It did look better after her efforts. Apparently there was more finesse to tying a tie than simply knotting it. "You take a two month scenic vacation and still outrank me? How's that fair?"

The tug Judy gave his tie nearly choked him, but she patted his chest and stepped back with a crooked smile. "Life's not fair. You ready, Sergeant Wilde?"

Nick cleared his throat and loosened the tie slightly. "I was born ready, Captain Carrots…oh, I like that one much better. Makes you sound like a superhero. I'd absolutely watch that Saturday morning cartoon."

"Watch your tone, sergeant," she told him, winking. "What was it Bogo said when he gave me the promotion Monday?"

"Really wasn't listening all that closely after the part where he sounded like my mom when he authorized you to smack me around if I got out of line."

"That was it. 'Don't let Nick think he's in charge'. Got it. You know, he never did say that only applies at work."

Nick snorted and glanced down the hall, but the room's door was still closed. "Why would I ever have thought I was in charge outside work? Cute little bunny dating a big mean fox…I never stood a chance. You've been the boss since the day we met."

Judy grabbed at his tie again, and Nick flailed briefly, thinking he was about to get choked. Instead, she pulled him down and kissed him lightly.

"What was that for?" he asked, more than a little surprised by the public display of affection. It was very unlike Judy. Usually he was the affectionate one, and she tried to keep things professional outside the home.

"That was for two things," she whispered, smiling up at him. "First was because I like you and wanted to help you get over being taken advantage of by a mean little bunny."

"The second?"

Judy's smile widened. "To really torque up Bellwether. She's being led down the hall behind you."

"Really? What's she doing here? This was supposed to be about Rolen."

"No idea," she replied, peeking past him down the hall. "Different courtroom. Is it possible they're doing the approval for the deal you cut her today? Might also be related to your reports of the guards being in her pocket. I heard they were investigating that."

"Doing it today is really odd." Nick could not really say more than that, but his instincts told him something was up. The deal should have been approved long before, and having her plea deal handled in the same area as Rolen's very high-profile case only made him wonder that much more. Looking past Judy again, he saw that the guards had opened the courtroom they were waiting on, and were allowing certain mammals inside. "It's probably nothing. We should get going. They're going to want us front and center on this one, and they're letting us in now."

Using his paw as support to swing herself down from the step, Judy hurried a few steps ahead of him the whole way to the courtroom. There, a group of heavily-armed boars in bulletproof body armor stood at the ready, with a second squad inside the courtroom. Apparently, they were not risking anything after Rolen's previous escape. Emphasizing the security, three of the six boars adjusted their weapons as Judy approached them.

"Identification now!" demanded one of the boars, eyeing Nick with something between a challenge and nervousness. "If you're not on the witness list, you won't be allowed in, and will be required to leave the area."

Judy gave Nick a concerned glance, but then held out her badge wallet to the guards. "Captain Hopps. Sergeant Wilde and I are here to testify in Rolen Ursius' trial."

The lead boar passed her badge back to one of the others, who compared it to a list he had on a tablet computer.

"Anyone want to hear a joke?" Nick asked as the seconds ticked by, hoping to lighten the mood. He had a fairly good one ready, in the hope that they gave him the chance. He had been meaning to try it out on Flash, but a stranger was more fun to experiment with.

"No," snapped two of the boars simultaneously. When Nick looked at Judy, she was glowering at him.

The boar with the tablet finally passed the wallet back to Judy and nodded. "They check out. Hopps, Wilde, you need to go to the front row on the prosecution side. Your seats are labeled. Do either of you have weapons of any kind? Not just firearms, but tasers, tranqs, or even fox repellent spray."

"Not I," Nick replied, and Judy shook her head as well. "Turned them in up front. Also, I rarely carry fox repellent. I find it's not helpful to my job."

"Sorry for the hassle," one of the other guards told them, waving them through. "You know how it is. High-profile case, and after having someone infiltrate the ZBI last time we tried to try him, they're being overly-careful. Thank you both for all you've done for the city."

Nick followed Judy through into the courtroom, where he spotted two heavily-armed wolverines near the bench, who watched him and Judy take their seats.

"This remind you of anywhere else?" he asked softly, once they were seated.

"If you mean Ursian lands, yeah," she admitted, folding her paws in her lap. Though she looked calm, Nick noticed she was wiggling her toes as a form of fidgeting—something she did when she was worried, because it did not draw much attention from anyone but him. "Doesn't really feel like home with this much military presence."

"Try having your arms checked by Major Ursa after a shooting on her watch," he replied as low as he could. "At least those goons at the door didn't put a gun to your head while checking your badge."

Judy smiled up at him, and Nick already knew she was about to one-up him. He wanted to be annoyed, but he frequently used the tactic to get her to reveal more about her time in the south, which she rarely would discuss. "Leash on the collar, while surrounded by wolves, one with a weapon pointed at my head. In the rain. At night. Possibly uphill both ways."

"You already won at the leash part," he replied, smirking. "But we can fix that."

"Wait, what?"

Nick leaned in, making sure no one overheard him, as a few nearby seats were filled in. Nick ignored taking seats. "Still have the disarmed collar. Can make a leash."

"That's not even a little funny. Here I thought you were going to make a joke about getting me wet."

"It crossed my mind, but I went for the classy joke. A tiny bit of light bondage never hurt anyone, Fluff."

"Captain Fluff to you. I'm not wearing a collar again for a good long time, for fun or otherwise. Had you asked before I went south, then maybe. If you want to wear it…"

Nick flattened back his ears. Rarely did she one-up him when he teased about anything sexual. "That went a direction I didn't expect."

"I got to be the sub for months," she reminded him, giving him a maliciously victorious smile. "You wanna play that game, I'm not the one wearing a collar. I might be a prude, but I still grew up with hundreds of siblings. If you think suggesting dominance play is enough to rattle me, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that. How do _you_ feel about getting tied up?"

Nick opened his mouth to reply, closed it, opened it, closed it, and finally opened it again. He glanced past Judy toward Chief Bogo, who had taken a seat on her far side, though he did not appear to have heard them talking. Whoever had sat down at Nick's other side said nothing, either. "I did not really see that coming from you, but I'll pretty much try everything you can come up with. I'll pass on whips, but pawcuffs and a blindfold on my birthday has some appeal. I'll call it a date."

Judy's smirk faded almost instantly to fear, and she crossed her hind paws as her head sank a little. "Oh…I mean…maybe…"

Nick prepared to launch into a pro-bondage speech—made up at that moment, of course—but the boom of the courtroom doors closing ended any such thoughts. Looking back, he saw that half the boars were inside the room, hinting that the others guarded the door outside. A group of twenty deer—some with obvious burns—milled about the back of the room, kept there by the guards. As he started to turn back to the front of the room, he realized that his father was seated at the end of the bench, keeping some distance between himself and Nick. John was in a different suit than when Nick had last seen him, and was making a point of not acknowledging Nick and Judy, as though they were strangers. He was keeping his promise to give them space, which Nick appreciated.

Another door opened, and Nick returned his attention to the front of the room. From the door which led into the city jail emerged Rolen, flanked by two rhinos. Rolen wore heavy shackles that kept all four paws from moving far apart, and a steel muzzle, from which his fangs protruded awkwardly. Despite the restraints, he seemed entirely at ease, allowing the officers to escort him as though they were his servants.

"He is way too happy to be here," Judy whispered, and Nick was surprised to see Bogo nod in agreement. If he heard that, he had heard the previous conversation. That was going to prove awkward sooner or later. Deep down, Nick wondered if he was getting pawcuffs for his birthday from his coworkers, or possibly a ball gag. "What do you think he's up to?"

Nick shook his head. "With this many guns in the room, I can't imagine anything for today. He's probably working on plans for how to escape before reaching prison."

"Assuming they convict him," Bogo added softly. "Never make that assumption."

From the far end of the bench, John said to no one in particular, "He _will_ see the inside of a cell."

The guards helped Rolen sit at the table across the aisle from where Nick and Judy sat, and they fastened his hind paw shackles to a bolt in the floor. Once they had tested all chains on him with sharp tugs, they took up positions behind him. Rolen seemed completely bored with the exchange, and set to smoothing his fur and uniform once the rhinos were no longer touching him.

The next to enter the courtroom were the lawyers. Representing the city was Bruce Buckley, who gave Nick one look, then completely ignored him. Taking a seat near Rolen was a younger defense attorney Nick was unfamiliar with. The lioness eyed Rolen beside her, then set to going through stacks of paperwork, and whispering with her client.

A panther bailiff came in after the lawyers, taking his position near the booth from which testimony would soon be heard.

Last into the room was the judge, an elderly ewe who struggled to make it up the steps to her seat, using a cane for support. Once there, she squinted through her glasses at each side, and motioned to the bailiff to begin the hearing.

"Please rise," announced the panther, and every mammal in the room stood—other than Rolen, who could not. "This court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Sadie Wule presiding."

"You may all be seated," the judge said, almost before the bailiff had finished. "Due to difficulties finding jurors who the accused considers peers—"

Despite the muzzle, Rolen announced loudly, "I have no peers in this, or any other, land."

"—the defendant has asked through his attorney for a bench trial," Judge Wule finished, as though she had not even heard Rolen speak. "Is this correct?"

"It is, your honor," the lioness beside Rolen replied quickly.

"It is, your honor," confirmed Bruce, for the prosecution. "The city does not object to the change of trial format. For the sake of expediency, we approve."

"Very well," the judge said, clasping her hooves as she leaned back in her chair. "It is also my understanding that the city wishes to call an unexpected number of witnesses to speak against the defendant?"

Standing, Buckley replied, "We have three hundred witnesses and family waiting outside to speak. Per your honor's instructions, only twenty have been allowed inside at this time."

"That will have to do," Judge Wule told him. She adjusted her glasses, squinting across the room at the deer. "Per security restrictions on this case, the others may not be able to pass the security checkpoints in time. Will your case be damaged in any way if we limit the number of animals who testify? I will allow as many as I can, but time may be an issue."

"No, your honor," Bruce answered. "We have the arresting officers present, and the ZBI agent most familiar with the case. The others are merely here to testify to the brutality of the crime."

The judge motioned for Buckley to sit and he did. After a few seconds, Judge Wule addressed the whole courtroom. "This trial is to determine the innocence or guilt of the accused with regard to ten thousand charges—easily the largest number I've seen by an order of magnitude in all my years—of murder, attempted murder, assault on ZPD and ZBI officials, conspiracy to commit war crimes, as well as a few hundred lesser charges, all the way down to littering. If found innocent, the accused will be remanded to the custody of his homeland's military, which I understand has representatives in the city. If found guilty, the accused faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, with no chance of parole. Are these charges correct?"

"They are," both attorneys replied.

"Very well. Let's get going with opening statements," the judge told them, motioning to Bruce Buckley. "You may begin."

Bruce took to his hooves, but before he could speak, Rolen pounded on the table, drawing all eyes his way. Rolen's lawyer scrambled to catch her paperwork as everything on the table shifted from the impact.

Nick and Judy exchanged worried looks, and Bogo reached up to unfasten the button on his coat, as though getting ready for the worst. John kept his eyes on the judge's bench. Nick's father seemed entirely unwilling to even look at Rolen.

"Your honor," Rolen said, turning in his seat to address the deer at the back of the room. "While I object to being charged for the actions of others, these…prey…have legitimate reason to hate me. The city has discussed a plea deal to spare them going through this, I believe. To date, my attorney has been unwilling or unable to bring those offers to me. I would like to hear them now, if that's possible."

The judge sat up straight, glaring down at Rolen, though he did not seem to notice. "May I recommend you keep silent, Mister Ursius? You endanger your own case by speaking out of turn. By the panic I see on your attorney's face, I'm guessing this was already advised against. Despite that, if the city is willing to offer any remaining plea deals, speak now. Once we begin the case, I will not stop it again."

Still standing, Bruce cleared his throat. "Your honor, the city is willing to spare the victims further reminders of what happened, but the offer is limited. Zootopia recommends a minimum sentencing of life in prison, regardless of plea. We will, however, consider parole when he is too old to walk on his own. Given his species, that's twenty years, at a minimum."

Nick watched Rolen's face, and saw only mild amusement. From the corner of his eye, he saw his father's forepaws clench angrily. John clearly did not want Rolen getting off lightly, even if that punishment was still fairly severe.

"If I end up in the same place regardless," Rolen replied, bowing his head slightly toward Bruce, "I see no reason to go through this formality. In my homeland, I will face worse than a prison cell. Here, I have the choice between prison, or prison with a slim chance of parole. Given these marvelous choices, I hereby accept the city's offer. I will not put these frail prey through hours of testimony."

"What is your plea, Mister Ursius?" Judge Wule asked firmly.

Adjusting in his seat, Rolen twisted to look straight at Judy, before grinning as broadly as his restraints allowed, and then turned back to the judge. "I plead guilty, your honor. I ordered the attack on Podunk, or encouraged it, if that's what you need to hear. Ten thousand prey dead is a paltry sum, when your kind overwhelm the world already. I wished for a hundred thousand more bodies. Bunnyburrow was next—"

The judge banged her gavel, and Rolen's attorney patted at his arm, trying to get him to stop talking. Beside Nick, Judy's back was rigid as she watched Rolen with horror in her eyes. Nick wanted to offer her some kind of comfort, but there was little he could do to mitigate the bear's rant. All he could do was put a paw on her shoulder, though even that touch made her jump and cower slightly. She was terrified of both Rolen, and the situation. This was what Rolen had done to her, in a way.

"—and would have been far from the last," Rolen continued. "Until every last prey in this region bends the knee, or has been put in the ground, there is no reason for me to have stopped. I plead guilty to trying to save my species, something a mammal like _you_ would not understand. Put me in your box, and someone else will do what I intended. You have no authority over me, prey!"

"Clear the room!" the judge ordered, and the guards began escorting the would-be witnesses out in droves. "I want control over this courtroom before we continue."

"You'll need a miracle to have true control here," Rolen replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his massive chest. The rhino guards each put a hoof on his shoulders, though he did not react. "Declare your ruling, and know that you will be the first I come for when I walk free."

The banging of the gavel frayed at the worn edges of Nick's already-taut nerves. He could feel every flinch from Judy, who the noise must have been far worse for, especially with more invested in the case. On his other side, John had gone from tensely-calm to sitting straight, watching everyone cautiously. Nick could not help but notice that John's claws were out, hinting that he was too tense to retract them or ready for a fight.

"Enough of that," warned the judge, pointing her gavel at Rolen, whose smile did not waver. "Your plea is only half of this case. I would still like to hear from the officers involved, to help determine how I rule on sentencing. Keep your mouth shut unless called on again, Mister Ursius. Your future depends on it."

"Hardly," Rolen muttered. "You have my permission to continue, though."

Judge Wule glared at Rolen for some time, and Nick began to wonder if there was really anything more she could do to someone she was already likely sentencing to decades in a prison. At last, she lowered her gavel and turned her attention to Nick, Judy, John, and Bogo, any hint of irritation already gone.

"Officer Nicholas Wilde," she announced, waving one hoof toward the witness stand. "You're first up. This should be relatively quick."

Nick got to his paws and made his way to the front of the courtroom, where the bailiff swore him in, and he took a seat near the judge. Once he was settled, she turned and leaned on the low wall dividing them so she could speak directly to him.

"Officer, it is my understanding that you were one of those who performed the original arrest of the defendant. Is that correct?"

"It is," Nick replied, trying to keep the judge in his line of sight, rather than Rolen. Even so, he could see the grin on Rolen's face. "Three of us confronted Rolen during his attempt on Gazelle."

"My understanding is that you were involved in an altercation?"

Nick swallowed and nodded. "Yes. My partner was wounded, and I attempted to subdue the defendant."

"Your report and the medical examiner's report both state that you…bit…the defendant?"

Nick's calm wavered, and he looked around nervously. "Yes…I…I did, your honor. The defendant was armed and a good bit larger than I am—"

The judge stared at him over her glasses, then shook her head. "We're not savages, officer. Your conduct is unbecoming of your position in the ZPD. Given the violent and unreasonable way you handled this, your testimony is stricken from the record, and a formal reprimand has been placed in your file. You're lucky we're not tossing the original case in its entirety for your actions."

"And what would have happened if I had shot him, instead?" Nick demanded.

"You would have gotten a medal, but we can't expect that kind of forward thinking from a fox," the judge replied, motioning to the bailiff. "You're dismissed, officer."

Nick spread his paws in disbelief. Bogo and Judy both gave him sympathetic looks, but he could not believe he was being disregarded simply for using the only weapons he had available to him at the time. A second glance out at his father showed no hint of surprise—at least someone was used to this sort of treatment. "Your honor…"

"Did I stutter, Officer Wilde?" the sheep asked, pointing back toward Nick's empty seat, as the bailiff came over. When she continued, she spoke slowly, as though to a child. "You are dismissed. There is no excuse you can give that will make it okay to _bite_ a suspect. Absolutely disgraceful, even for you."

Nick sullenly stood and made his way back to the seats, but hesitated as he passed the defendant's table. He looked up to see Rolen holding a sheet of paper, with the words, "Do you understand now?" written on it. Hurrying his pace, he retook his seat by Judy, and put his head in his paws.

"You didn't do anything wrong," she whispered, stroking his back. "Remember that. You did what you had to do. If you didn't, you wouldn't be alive, and neither would I. You saved a lot of lives that day."

"I know," Nick mumbled through his paws. "It's not about what I did or didn't do. It's who I am, all over again. If you'd bit Rolen, she would have laughed."

Judy did not get a chance to reply before the bailiff called for her next. Rubbing his back one more time, she slid off the bench and padded her way up to the witness stand. She was sworn in while standing on the chair, then took a seat for questioning, as Nick sat up and watched.

"Officer Hopps," the judge began, once Judy was seated and paperwork at the bench sorted through. "You, I have a lot more questions for, which may directly pertain to how the defendant is sentenced, and whether I accept the city's recommended punishments."

"Yes, your honor," Judy replied, watching the judge intently.

"Is it true you were thrown off a balcony by the defendant?"

"Yes it is, your honor. Quick thinking by Chief Bogo and Officer Wilde is the only reason I'm alive today."

The judge nodded and scribbled down several notes. Turning, she addressed Rolen. "Is this true, Mister Ursius? Did you throw an officer of the law to her—anticipated—death?"

"I most certainly did," Rolen answered smugly.

"May I ask why you…threw…the witness?"

Rolen's smile gave Nick shivers. "Bunnies are aerodynamic, and it was convenient. I regret my decision, as simply breaking her neck would have been more appropriate. It would have saved me a great deal of trouble later, and would have been a deterrent to the other officers present."

Judge Wule blinked several times, then returned to questioning Judy. "You were then enlisted by the ZBI as part of a special task force to bring him back, after his escape?"

"I was, your honor. Dispatched into Ursian lands to arrest him, and put him in a courtroom."

The judge and Nick both looked to Rolen, and Nick certainly expected something to come out of the bear's mouth, but he said nothing. After a few seconds, the judge turned back to Judy. "During your time there, was there any behavior from the defendant that might lean this court toward leniency or harshness? Be very specific, please."

Judy's ears, already back, flattened even more tightly to her head, somewhat surprising Nick. "Your honor, may I ask that my partner be removed from the courtroom before I continue?"

Nick's fur stood on end, and he sat up straight. He had not even budged from his seat before Bogo put one hoof on his chest to keep him there. John was no longer watching Judy, but had turned a sorrowful gaze on Nick. One or both of them knew more than Nick did, and that made him worry all the more.

"He can be, but I fail to see the reason," Judge Wule said, giving Nick a confused glance. "Is there something particularly embarrassing in your testimony? These proceedings are a matter of public record, so I am uncertain what would be accomplished by sending him outside."

Judy met Nick's worried stare, and then closed her eyes. "He's overprotective, and won't want him to hear this. He will be angry and potentially disruptive to this court."

Nick knew she was not wrong, but wanted to argue anyway, if only to stay and know what she had not told him yet. Thankfully, the judge took that out of his paws.

"Your request is denied, officer," Wule replied. "The ZPD has policies against fraternization for this very reason. If you two are not mature enough to know the risks in the line of duty, you are not mature enough for the nonsense I saw splayed all over television a few months ago. When I was your age, that stunt might have gotten one or both of you hung from the walls. You will continue your testimony."

Nick considered leaving the courtroom, but Judy's absolute look of misery rivaled the way she had looked the day he had first tormented her in the DMV, convincing him to stay. Whatever had happened was something he needed to know, so she could heal—and, depending on what was about to be said, so he could heal, too.

"There was good and bad," Judy began, her voice far softer than before. "He saved the lives of a dozen prey, who soldiers were told to kill. He did it by murdering a soldier with his own two paws, then threatened to execute any others who disobeyed him."

The judge peeked over at Rolen, who nodded and shrugged.

"He killed predators and prey alike while I was there. Anyone who got in his way or crossed him, he tore apart. I still have nightmares about some of the deaths. When I escaped him, he killed every slave in the building in a rage. There are nine lives which will weigh heavy on me the rest of my life."

Judge Wule raised one hoof to cut in. "That seems to match much of the written testimony we've received. I'm looking for your personal experiences with him."

"He never lied," she admitted, shrugging. Despite showing no emotion in her expression, Nick watched tears begin to run slowly down her cheeks. "He twisted everything, though. Had a brainwashed mammal try to kill us after he promised _he_ would not harm us. Tried to crash a plane filled with refugees and ZPD officers. He killed a slave named Midnight in front of me, to prove a point. He even sent a prey rehabilitator after Harry and I. A few days later, I was captured, and spent nearly two weeks wearing a leash and being forced to stay on all fours, as a way to humiliate me before executing me. I was beaten, spit on, and more than once thrown into an oven under the threat of being eaten for dinner. Several times it was turned on, scorching my fur. When he found out Harry was visiting me during the night to keep my spirits up, I was beaten with a rope. Harry and Agent Crimson helped me get free that same day, and we ended up playing a game of hide and seek with Rolen for several more weeks. In the end, Rolen sprayed Harry and I with a chemical meant to kill us both. Obviously, it _didn't_ kill us, but the intention was clear. I was shown what happened to his test subjects…or what was left of them."

"To be clear, did he release you or did you escape, Officer Hopps?"

"No, he definitely did not release me. He decided I was not going to break, and wanted me to suffer even more than the trauma of the oven. That last day in Ursian lands, he recaptured me and also caught Harry. After spraying us with the chemical, he explained that he was going to boil me alive, then pull me out at the verge of death, so I could feel the agony of the burns while I waited for the toxins in my system to kill me. The ZBI agent in the room today had slipped me a poison vial right after my capture, while I was in my cage. The contents were either to knock Rolen out…or to kill myself before Rolen could do it. I used it on Rolen, and fought off his attempts to kill me until the sedatives kicked in. Shortly thereafter, Agent Crimson arrived after freeing Harry, and helped cart Rolen to a car for transport. Rolen certainly never released us."

Nick nearly slid off the bench, as his mind stuck on the leash, beatings, and other humiliations. The idea that he had suggested she be involved in games that were so close to what was done to her made him sick to his stomach. They were going to need to have a very explicit discussion—and soon—about what he could say or do that would not make her feel like he was even hinting at doing anything to her like what she had already been through.

A loud snap startled Nick, and he looked down to see that Bogo had broken the edge of the bench off with his hooves. He was seething, though his face showed nothing more than his usual dourness.

Somehow, John was entirely calm, at least on the outside. Nick almost looked away from him, but then noticed John was tracing scars on the fur of his arms. He was reminiscing about something done to him, too.

With a soft huff letting her breath out, the judge set aside her glasses and shook her head. "That's quite a lot to process, officer. Do you believe Mister Ursius can be rehabilitated?"

Judy looked at Rolen and winced. Taking a moment before answering, she wiped at the tears on her facial fur. "Your honor, I believe in the best of every animal. In my heart, I believe every mammal can be good or evil. Rolen has chosen to do awful things, because he has convinced himself they're right. Can he be rehabilitated? Yes. Yes, he can. Will he let himself be? I really don't think so. He is capable of some of the worst atrocities I've ever heard of, and has no remorse for them."

For several seconds, the courtroom remained silent, as the judge watched Judy with sympathy, Judy watched the floor, and Nick tried not to get up and try to find a weapon to use on Rolen. It was the judge who finally broke the silence, addressing Rolen again.

"Mister Ursius, do you have anything to say for these claims?" she asked, motioning vaguely toward Judy, who still was still staring blankly at the floor. "Did you torture this officer, and threaten to _eat_ her?"

"Oh, I did not threaten," Rolen calmly replied, despite the frantic whispering of his lawyer. "Had the bunny not proven herself resourceful, I absolutely would have cooked her. Likely with garlic and pepper. My failing here was in not doing it sooner, but I wanted to see her break first. I revel in defeating a worthwhile foe, and that cost me. Given half the chance, I would still kill her to ensure there are not a thousand more enemies in a generation's time, but she is among the few I consider a worthy opponent. The other three sit on the benches, glaring at the side of my head. No one else from this city has proven themselves worthy of my attention."

Judge Wule rolled her eyes and put her glasses back in place. "I don't even need the ZBI's testimony. You leave me little choice, Mister Ursius. The maximum sentence I can give is life in prison without parole. We can revisit this every three years, but don't expect the answer to change unless you do. Get him out of this courtroom and into general population."

The two rhinos moved to unfasten Rolen from the floor, as Judy made her way back over to Nick. As soon as Judy reached him, Nick put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, no longer really caring about public—or Bogo's—opinion.

"General populace?" asked Rolen, sounding almost disgusted. He shoved the rhinos off of him. "Ten thousand dead, and you consider me that little of a threat? I am a warlord. I am no common criminal."

"Mister Ursius, that's not how this works," the judge told him, as she stood to leave. "General population is appropriate when the prisoner is under no threat from others. If you were going to share space with prey, I would be concerned, but you aren't. You'll be among your own. If a legitimate threat is made against you, I'll reconsider isolation."

Nick slid off the bench, with Judy at his side, as Bogo stood. John was still moving to stand when the two rhinos grabbed at Rolen, but they never got a solid grip on him.

"All it takes is a threat, eh?" roared Rolen, clenching both paws, and pulling his shoulders away from the rhinos. "Let me show you a threat, prey."

Lurching to his paws, Rolen roared as he twisted sharply, snapping the chains holding his arms to his legs and his legs to the floor. Around the room, the wolverines and boars rushed to move into a position where they could fire, even as Rolen grabbed the first of the rhinos, slamming him into the floor with a boom that flipped the defense table on its edge. Meanwhile, the lawyers scrambled for cover and the judge ducked out of the room.

John was the first into motion on their side of the divider between the lawyers and the audience area, tumbling over the divider and sliding under the prosecution's table as Rolen held the second rhino between himself and the boars, who were aiming pistols at him.

"Anyone armed?" Judy asked, as a rhino went flying toward the front of the room.

Nick turned to look at the boars, and saw that they had a new problem. The three boars inside the courtroom were unable to fire at Rolen as long as he stayed low and behind the armored rhino. The two wolverines were in a similarly-awkward position, as one had been struck with a flying rhino, and the other was moving to fire around the flipped table.

"No, they took mine, too," Bogo grumbled, backing out of the line of fire for the boars, forcing everyone toward the side of the room. "Let them do their job. Move back, officers."

With Bogo all but blocking them, Nick and Judy slid up against the wall, clearing as much of the room as possible for the four remaining guards. Nearby, Nick watched as Rolen ripped the metal muzzle off his face and settled onto all fours, cocking his head to listen to the moving court guards, with the unconscious rhino on one shoulder. John was nowhere to be found.

"You do not want to be anywhere near those weapons," warned Bogo, nodding toward the wolverine, putting one huge arm across Nick and Judy. "Elephant-stoppers. They'll put him on the ground with a single shot. You two probably wouldn't ever be found if you were hit."

If Bogo said anything else, it was lost in the boom of a rifle going off. Nick barely even realized he was hugging Judy when his hearing cleared, and she was ending a scream, as she held her ears. Looking over his shoulder, Nick saw that the table Rolen was using for protection was almost entirely reduced to splinters, but the wolverine who had fired was flat on his back, with Rolen hunched over him. That put Rolen near the door at one end of the courtroom.

"He's going to make a run for it!" Nick yelled, releasing Judy and hopping the wall to where Bruce Buckley had been standing during the trial. Running hard, he went for the wolverine who lay unconscious with a rhino atop him. All he could see was the weapon at the wolverine's side, which was the right size for Nick to use without too much risk.

As Nick ran, a smaller weapon went off, and he heard an entire magazine empty. From the corner of his eye, he saw his father ducking for cover as a chair was thrown at him.

Another roar and boom behind Nick brought him to a dead stop. This time, Rolen had thrown an entire bench, and Nick could see blood sprayed across the back wall when he checked. None of the boars were visible.

"Shit!" Nick swore as he dove for the pistol. Drawing it, he rolled over and realized he was not in immediate danger. As he had during the fight to protect Gazelle, Bogo was fighting Rolen, hoof to paw, the two giants trading blows as they each strained to gain the upper paw. Judy was somewhere on the far side of the room, but he could not see her from where he lay. John had disappeared in the last few seconds, though an empty pistol lay where he had been moments before.

"Officers, run!" Bogo yelled, as he bodily drove Rolen through a row of benches. "Get out of here!"

Raising the weapon, Nick carefully adjusted his position, but every time he thought he might have a shot at Rolen, he and Bogo would twist or move, with one or the other slammed into a wall. Soon, the courtroom was in shambles, as the two fought fiercely.

 _He's got this_ , Nick assured himself, still trying to get a clear shot. _Bogo's beaten him before._

With a mighty shove, Bogo drove Rolen against the wall, then aimed a punch at him that would have broken a brick wall. To Nick's dismay, Rolen not only caught Bogo's hoof, but held him mid-swing.

"More than a dozen rounds were fired into my side the last time we fought. This time, I am not so weak," Rolen growled, keeping Bogo between himself and Nick. With his free paw, he grabbed Bogo by the throat. "Large or small, you're still prey, and inferior. Let's see if killing the police chief will motivate the cowardly animals of this city to confront me!"

Nick moved as quickly as he dared to his right, attempting to clear his line of fire. He had not gotten halfway to where he needed to be before Rolen drove Bogo to his knees, and Nick could see blood on Bogo's shirt collar. It looked as though it was taking all of Bogo's strength to keep Rolen from ripping out his throat or breaking his neck.

"Rolen Ursius!" Nick yelled as he approached Rolen directly, and the bear's attention snapped his way with a deep-throated growl. "Stand down! You are under arrest."

"You have a lot of nerve, fox," Rolen snarled, as he released Bogo's hoof. Even with both arms, Bogo could not free himself, and Rolen did not seem to be fully exerting himself. "Drop your weapon and leave, and you will live to see tomorrow. I do not negotiate. That is your only offer of leniency."

Nick kept walking toward Rolen, refusing to show fear, no matter how strongly he felt it. "Release the chief, or I will open fire. The ZPD also does not negotiate. This is _my_ only offer of leniency."

"So the fox does have a spine." The anger and hatred in Rolen's eyes faded quickly to an amused glitter. Rolen suddenly released Bogo, letting him fall to the floor, gasping. "Your move, Wilde. If you pull that trigger, you have two shots at most before I'm on you. When I reach you—and I do mean _when_ —I will remove the spine you've so recently grown. Drop the weapon and run."

Nick watched as Bogo slid out of the way, leaving a trail of blood as he moved. Despite how severe the wounds must have been, he could hear Bogo breathing fairly evenly, so he was likely not in immediate danger.

"Lay down on the floor, paws behind your head," Nick ordered, and the slow smirk from Rolen told him that was never going to happen. All he could do was hope that the gunfire would bring half the city's soldiers and officers running. "Down!"

Rolen raised both forepaws slowly, and eased forward onto his knees. "Do you realize how little of what I did to your bunny was mentioned at trial? She was my faithful caged bird. Pull the trigger, Wilde. Let me know what you think of me having my servants slap that tiny little monster around, if you care at all. Maybe you have always wanted to be the one to hurt her, dominate her, and show her who is in charge. I never meant to take that from you, and if I did, I apologize. Put the weapon down, and I can tell you how to make her scream and plead, the way a bunny should to a fox. If you cannot let it go, kill me now. Become the warrior I know lurks in the back of your mind."

Nick's paws were trembling, and he had to move his finger off the trigger to keep from accidentally firing. "All the way down!"

Bending forward, Rolen placed his forepaws palms-down on the floor. "You know, she never did call out for you. Somewhat surprising, don't you think? She did call out for Harry… Nothing to concern yourself with. I'm certain him and I don't know her better than you do…or are you doubting that, Wilde? Maybe she even enjoyed it. Perhaps she likes having a true predator dominate her."

The trembling had spread to Nick's muzzle, and he was struggling to keep from crying or screaming at Rolen. With his off-paw, he moved to wipe a tear from his eye to keep his vision clear, and realized he had already made the mistake Rolen wanted, as the bear launched himself on all fours. Nick's only shot went wide.

Rolen's impact knocked the wind from Nick's lungs and left him in agony and gasping for breath. He blinked to clear his vision, and realized he still held the pistol, but it was low, well away from Rolen's chest or head. The bear crouched over Nick, his hot breath puffing over Nick's face.

"You tried, Wilde," Rolen said more serenely, the seething hatred already gone from his tone. "You die a warrior, to be honored by his city."

A faint click made Nick look up, and Rolen froze, eyes darting side to side.

"Rolen Ursius, you're under arrest," Judy said calmly, and Nick realized she was standing on Rolen's back, with an oversized pistol in her paw, pressed to the back of his skull. "At this range, you don't get two shots. And yes, I know it'll break my arm to fire this weapon. I don't care. Release my fox."

Rolen snarled. "I can roll. There's a chance of surviving. My mother survived a bullet that glanced off her skull. Besides, I know you, Hopps. You won't kill if there's any chance of avoiding it."

"I will for my fox. Don't test me."

Rolen's muzzle twitched, and he focused in again on Nick.

Nick forced a smile. "You should pay attention to where my gun is. You might survive, but you won't want to." Slowly shifting, Rolen followed Nick's arm down to the pistol, with its barrel resting against the bear's groin. "Your move, Fangface. You're losing your head, your pride, or both. You really want to gamble on both of us missing our mark?"

Rolen growled open-mouth in Nick's face, his long fangs brushing Nick's whiskers. "You think I care if you both shoot me? I die a hero to those who would see prey put back in their places. I am a martyr. I die a god among mortals."

"Funny thing about that," Judy said from above Rolen. "You already tipped your paw on that the last time you came to the city. You want to die a warrior, not a coward. How will that look when word gets out that you were shot in the back of the head by a bunny? I will happily send pictures of your remains. Might forget to tell them about the murderous rampage here. They'll think you died a coward on your knees."

The anger faded quickly from Rolen's face, and he carefully lifted himself enough to allow Nick to escape. "Once again, you win, Hopps. Perhaps eventually, I'll finally beat you. These are the moments when I understand how it was that my lands lost that first war."

Nick slid himself out from under Rolen, keeping his weapon aimed at the bear's chest, and then his head once he could free his arm. After getting completely out from under Rolen, Nick could see that Judy was not only perched atop him, but had her left paw wrapped in Rolen's fur so it would be difficult to toss her if he tried.

"So this is how it ends?" Rolen asked, staying absolutely still. "I fail to kill you two, and I go into a cell, to waste away the rest of my years?"

"More or less…yeah," Judy told him, giving Nick a broad smile, once he was back on his paws and out of reach. "You just proved prey aren't helpless."

Rolen closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "I did. I also ensured the opportunity to kill the prey who will most impact the city by her death."

Nick reacted as quickly as he could, but as he pulled the trigger on his pistol, Rolen was already in motion. The bullet grazed Rolen's chest as he threw himself backward, and Judy's grip on the overly-large pistol slipped as she clung to Rolen's back. He swept Judy off of his neck and threw her to the floor hard enough that Nick saw blood immediately stain her fur, and reared up to kill her, as Nick emptied his weapon, only hitting Rolen twice before his weapon was empty.

"Finally!" Rolen roared, kneeling over Judy, with one paw raised to crush her. "If I accomplish nothing else, I get to see you die, bunny!"

Another gunshot went off, spraying blood from Rolen's chest, and he looked past Nick toward the entrance to the courtroom. Nick followed the path of the shot, and found that his father stood near the doors, holding one of the boars' pistols in one paw, and kept his left paw behind his hip.

"Twenty years hounding you, and you're still worried about a bunny?" John asked, moving slowly along the wall to put the benches between himself and Rolen. "I'd have thought you'd want to know what happened to your parents and grandparents. Shame you weren't there to see them choke on their own blood. Pretty cowardly, if you ask me, that you're avoiding me to go after a bunny."

Rolen's roar shook the room, and nearly made Nick's knees give out.

"How dare you!" Rolen shouted, slapping aside Judy's pistol on the floor as he rose to his hind paws. "I know you were after me, Crimson. Trust me, I would have loved to rip that smirk off your face a thousand times over. I also know you were not the one to kill my parents. I am not so easy to manipulate."

"Oh, that I know," John continued, as he neared the farthest corner of the room. "Won't lie to you, Rolen. I didn't pull the trigger on your grandparents. You already killed the mammal who did. What you haven't gotten is the one who chose not to save them. That would be me. I walked away, letting them bleed out. They weren't in bad shape. They were a hundred miles from medical care, though. I gave the order to let them die. I am also the last mammal alive in the world to have seen your parents on the day they died. If you really want to spend your time failing to kill a bunny who did little more than outsmart you, go ahead. I'll be leaving now. Good luck ever finding me again. You've had one chance in all these years."

Nick thought for a moment that his father really intended to leave them, but it only took a second to realize that John was playing Rolen's anger against his rational mind. There were few things that enraged Rolen enough to make him make a mistake—his family's deaths were one such thing. Despite several seconds of Rolen looking between Judy and John, he soon rose to his hind paws and paced the open area of the courtroom, eyeing John warily, Judy and Nick forgotten entirely.

"You are lying," Rolen growled, moving slowly toward the dividing wall between the front and back half of the courtroom. "My grandparents died to a lion. A true warrior, who stood against them. The ZBI denies knowing who did it, but I saw the fur on their clothes as a cub. I smelled his scent on them. My parents were killed by snipers."

John chuckled and inched closer to the doors. "Leon Furrel? You never found the lion, because I buried him. Your grandmother tore his gut open, and he died before any of the others. He was our tactician, not one of the shooters. There were two others there that day. Mavis Blackhide, who you killed at ZBI headquarters…and myself. Mavis took the shot, against orders. She's also the one who killed your parents. Her choices cost me my life here. You want revenge? Great. I would have welcomed death a hundred times over for leaving my family behind. This is the last chance you'll ever get. You let me leave, and you'll never get another."

Rolen let out another bone-rattling roar, and dropped to all fours. Rushing the wall, he smashed through it easily. He flattened out as John began firing, causing most of the shots to be absorbed by the benches as Rolen closed with him.

"Dad!" Nick yelled, without realizing he was actually willing to say the word. Dropping onto his knees to steady himself, Nick reloaded and fired four bullets into Rolen's back, though he could not be certain they had done more than graze him. Before he could fire a fifth, Rolen reached John and reared up, slapping aside the far smaller fox's weapon.

To Nick's amazement, John made no attempt to avoid Rolen. He held his ground until the last possible moment, as Rolen's massive paw came down toward his head. Then, John threw himself sideways, narrowly dodging the attack, as he brought up his left paw, revealing a large syringe. Several more narrow dodges later, he drove the tip into Rolen's thigh, then rolled away as the bear tried to grab at him again. Diving and rolling between the benches, John barely kept ahead of Rolen as he made his way back toward Nick and Judy.

"That sedative should be enough to take him down!" John told Nick as he scrambled over the last smashed bench. "I couldn't get it fully injected, though!"

Nick glanced down at his pistol, and realized he likely only had one or two shots left. Even with Rolen already bleeding and the syringe protruding from his thigh, the pistol felt like wasted effort. Nick knew it would hardly slow Rolen.

 _I need to get to that syringe_ , Nick thought, lowering his pistol as Rolen got closer. _Push the plunger down and live long enough for him to fall over. Time it just right…_

With a shout, Judy ran right past Nick and leapt into the air, slamming into Rolen's thigh at full speed with her hind paws. The impact made Rolen stumble, and Judy fell to the floor. Before the bear could react, she jumped again, grabbing hold of his fur on his neck, where he had been shot only a few months earlier. She held tight, and Rolen reached up, trying to grab at her. With a muted grunt, Rolen's arms dropped and he fell to his knees, blinking rapidly.

Then, Nick realized what she had done. The first jump had allowed her to kick the syringe. She had managed to inject him with a perfectly-placed landing, driving the syringe deep into his thigh, before it had broken off.

Raising his pistol, Nick fired two shots into the ceiling. The booms snapped Rolen's attention to him and away from Judy, which was exactly what he had hoped would happen. Those few seconds were all he needed, as almost immediately after, Rolen collapsed to the floor, drooling on the tiles as he struggled to sit up.

Walking around to stand in front of his face, Judy very calmly told him, "Rolen Ursius. For the second time in a month, I am putting you under arrest."

"I…I will kill…you all," Rolen mumbled, looking up at Judy as Nick came up alongside her.

Bending down, Judy flicked Rolen's brow between his eyes with her finger. "Not today. Not ever."

Rolen growled—though Nick could not help but laugh at how silly it sounded with his jaw muscles not working—and tried to raise one paw. He barely budged, and finally closed his eyes.

"And that," John said, between pants, "is good teamwork. Well done, you two. Starting to wonder what the city needs the ZBI for with you two around."

Nick snickered and turned to survey the damage to the courtroom. Nearby, Bogo leaned against the remains of a row of benches, his hoof still pressed to his neck. At the far end of the room, one of the wolverine guards was stirring, while four more courthouse guards of varying species rushed in just then, guns drawn.

"You okay, chief?" Nick asked, coming over to Bogo.

Bogo nodded grimly, and shifted his grip on his throat. In that brief moment, Nick saw more blood stain Bogo's dark fur. "Yeah. Not dead, at least. I've had worse, though my pride took a beating."

The guards raced past Nick and Bogo, going straight to Rolen. Within seconds, they had him restrained, and were moving him back to the door into the jail wing of the building, dragged between them. Whatever John had given Rolen was seriously powerful.

Despite Bogo's efforts to keep his wounds covered, Nick forced his boss' fingers aside by a hair, so he could see, and evaluate whether they needed a doctor or a miracle. Deep claw marks had pieced the skin, but they did not appear to have punctured anything vital. A few stitches, and he would be fine, so Nick let Bogo cover the wounds again.

"Stop mothering me, Wilde," Bogo grumbled, pushing Nick away, as the first EMTs entered the courtroom. "Go have a celebratory drink with Judy and your ZBI friend. You two more than earned it. Rolen's probably spending the next thirty years in isolation. If I could get away with it, you'd both get another promotion. You'll have to settle for a scolding, since you did disobey a direct order."

Nick smiled and pressed Bogo's pocket handkerchief to his neck to help slow the blood loss. "We also accept alcohol, flowers, and money in appreciation. Maybe we can just call it even."

Chuckling, Bogo nodded weakly. "Never thought I'd hear you passing up a chance to hold something over my head. It's a deal. Judy gets the alcohol, you get the flowers, just to be obstinate. As for that agent…I thought I heard you say…"

"Yeah, you heard right," Nick admitted, giving his father a smile. "That's my dad."

Three EMTs came rushing around the side of the bench when they saw Bogo, and immediately shoved Nick aside. They quickly set to wiping down the puncture wounds and pressing gauze to each, to slow the bleeding while they evaluated.

With no further need to care for Bogo, Nick stood up, and looked around the room. Near the hall entrance, two boars were being led out on stretchers. Both appeared to be conscious, though one was soaked in so much blood Nick wondered how he was still breathing. The third of the boars lay on the floor, covered with a red sheet that had begun white.

Turning to survey the rest of the damage, Nick was amazed at how little of the room was unscathed. Rolen had made the courtroom resemble a condemned warehouse in mere minutes. He almost did not notice the two fallen wolverines and rhinos, until another group of EMTs ran for them. To his relief, Nick watched all four move slightly as they were helped up.

Nick then realized that his father had vanished in the last few seconds. There was no sign of him anywhere. That was a trick Nick dearly wanted to learn.

Judy sat cross-legged on one of the remaining benches, a pistol lying across her knees. She did not seem to even be aware of what was going on around her, as she ran her fingertips over the grip of the weapon. Blood ran down in a thin line over one cheek from her tumble while fighting Rolen.

"You okay, Judy?" Nick asked, approaching slowly. He almost slid his paws into his pockets, but refrained when he realized he still had Bogo's blood in his fur. "You saved our lives out there—"

When Nick stepped up alongside Judy, she flinched, and he saw her paw dart briefly to the grip of the gun, then away. He made an effort to make sure she did not realize he had seen the motion.

"Looks like you're struggling more than a little," he told her, taking a seat alongside her. Judy pointedly did not look up. "He's gone. Locked up pretty much forever."

Judy carefully picked up the pistol and placed it as far away from herself as she could reach down the bench. Once it was safely away from her, she clasped her paws together, but still did not look up. "Struggling? Yeah. Nick, I wanted to pull that trigger. I still want to. I want to see him die for what he did to me, and to others. I'm not proud of it. A part of me wants to point it at my own head before pulling the trigger, so I can forget the last few months. I can't make the thoughts go away, no matter how I try."

Nick slid his arm across her shoulders, feeling the unmistakable flinches of someone not wanting to be touched, though she did not object. He briefly considered removing his arm, but he knew her, and she was hating herself, not the contact. "Was all of what you said during the testimony true?"

"Of course it was."

"And what he said after?"

Judy slowly peeked up at him, ears low. "Some, yes. He did capture me and most of what he described did happen. His prey rehabilitator believed the way to break prey and remind them of their proper place was to treat them like pets. The oven…that was a daily routine from Rolen himself. As for screaming anyone's name…"

"You don't have to talk about any of this if you don't want to."

"Yes, I do. It happened, and I need to accept that. Nick, I didn't want him to know who we did have with us and who we didn't. He knew I was there with Harry. He thought there were others, but I wanted him to keep guessing. I couldn't let him know if you were there, Skye was there, any of the other officers…and especially Crimson. I knew if I started talking, I'd never stop."

"You know I was teasing about the leash thing, right? I didn't know…"

Judy laughed weakly. "That's pretty low on the list of things I'm coping with, Nick. I won't hold that one against you. Give me some time to sort through all the fears Rolen got stuck in my head, and I'll be able to do anything again. For now, I might have the occasional need to curl up and cry. If that happens, don't think less of me if I need a hug and reassurance I'm safe with you?"

Nick tightened his hug slightly. "I'd never think less of you, Judy. You just took out the meanest bear on the continent for the second time. Can I be honest with you?"

"Fox-honest, Nick-honest, or regular animal honest?" she asked, giving him a playful smirk.

"The truth is," he went on, ignoring the question, "I feel safer with you around, and the whole city should, too. You're my tiny, fierce, guardian bunny. If I can return that feeling once in a while, that's wonderful. We'll take care of each other, like partners do. Failing that, my father's kind of a badass, too, and that should make us both feel safer."

"I wanted to kill someone today, Nick. That's not okay. Safe doesn't begin to touch that."

"I'll watch out for you, and help keep you on the straight and narrow, so long as you do the same for me. I'm happy to play the big strong protective fox, but I expect that fantasy to turn around once you're doing better. We've built a good thing on the idea that I'm an idiot, and you'll know the right thing to do."

Judy slowly reached her arms around his waist and hugged him firmly. "You're not an idiot. I can call you a lot of things, but that's not one of them."

"Handsome, rugged…"

"Pushing your luck again, Slick," she told him, lowering her voice at the end, as the EMTs rushed past with Bogo on a stretcher. "Let's go home. You're fixing dinner, though. I'm feeling like I want to have a pajamas and television night, and am going to use a fear of ovens as an excuse to get out of cooking for a few more days."

Nick got up, and took Judy's paw as they headed for the hall. "It doesn't work as well when you tell me you're using it as an excuse."

"Are you going to tell your girlfriend to cook her own dinner in an oven just like the one someone tried to cook her in?"

"Now you're just manipulating me…and no. No, I will not make you cook."


	25. Chapter 10-3

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.3 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **November 28** **th** **, Thursday – Hopps Residence, Bunnyburrow**

"This is definitely not somewhere I thought I'd end up again so soon," Nick said, as they stepped off the Zootopia Express onto the station's platform. Dozens of bunnies and other prey wandered off the train, while others boarded, though most gave Nick odd glances in passing, a clear reminder that predators were rare in the burrow on the best of days, but since Podunk they were viewed with even more distrust. "Thanks for getting Stu to forgive me. I half-expected him to be waiting here with a shotgun when he found out we were back together."

Judy smiled in an attempt to reassure Nick, but with none of her family having shown themselves on the platform yet, she was not confident that he was wrong. Her smile must have looked like a lie, as Nick stared at her with an annoyed glare.

"He's going to shoot me, isn't he?" he asked, with one of his irritating tongue clicks. Some canines licked their muzzles when nervous or angry, but he always clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. After spending a couple weeks with his mother, the habit seemed to be hereditary. "Should I be wearing my bulletproof vest, Judy? Should I get back on the train?"

"No, no, of course…um…probably not?" Judy offered, but Nick clearly did not believe her. "He promised me he would behave when I talked to him last weekend. Mom's coming with him to make sure. Besides, he really seems to have an obsession with the fox taser, not shotguns. Much safer. Non-fatal."

Behind them, Marian finally spoke up as her cane came down on the platform. "If he shoots at Nicky, this may be among the worst holidays I've attended. Not the worst. Finnick got shot at almost every year, usually by ex-girlfriends. Got good at stitching graze wounds."

"Not helping, mom," Nick told her.

"Not even a little," Finnick muttered, as he followed Marian, carrying both his own bag and hers. "Someone wanna tell me why I'm here? This ain't even on my list of places I ever wanted to visit. Judy's the first bunny who ever was willing to talk to me. Burrow full of 'em kinda creeps me out. Hundreds of little bunnies underpaw…"

Judy reached back and grabbed Finnick, pulling him to the front of the group so he could not escape back onto the train. "You're part of Nick's family. The whole family was invited. Like it or not, you're going to be social. Also, we're bigger than you, so stop calling us 'little'. My cousin Marty could probably step on you."

"Aw, this ain't even a little bit fair," Finnick grumbled, tugging at his shirt sleeve to get away from Judy, though she held tight. He dropped the suitcases and swatted at Judy's paw ineffectually. "Skye didn't hafta come, so why do I? She's as much family as me."

"We've been over that more than enough times on the train," Marian replied firmly. "She wanted to spend some time with her friend Harry for the bunny holiday, now that he's fully recovered. They were not amused by your unannounced visit to the house last week to root around for alcohol in the fridge, while they were unpacking her things in her new room, or whatever they were doing."

"So the vixen's gettin' some action, and I get punished for it?" demanded Finnick, throwing his paws in the air in frustration. "How's that right?"

"It's right because no one but you seems to like having others walk in on them when they're getting action," Nick added, without looking back. Even with his dark sunglasses, Judy could tell he was watching for Stu to sneak up on him.

"You ain't entirely wrong, Nicky."

"And," Nick continued, lifting his glasses to glare at Finnick, "we're giving them time to see if they click or not. They aren't even sure if they're friends or _friends_ yet. You didn't take the hint last time I told you to leave them alone."

"They're friends, not lovers, you two," Judy reminded them, but they ignored her completely. "Not every couple needs to be anything more than friends. Please stop shipping them."

"So what you're saying," Finnick asked slowly, cocking his head and nearly smacking Judy with his huge ears, "is they're gonna be foolin' around on the couch or that crazy-big kitchen table."

"Ew!" Judy exclaimed, barely able to keep herself from slapping Finnick. "What is wrong with you?"

"Oh, where to begin?" Marian said under her breath. "You think this is bad, you should have met him as a pre-teen. Having the sex talk with him was far more educational for me than for him."

Judy opened her mouth to begin a lengthy speech about appropriateness aimed at Finnick, but before she could start, a bunny in a bright yellow courier's uniform came running up to them. He looked first to Judy, then reluctantly at the three foxes.

"Is one of you Marian Wilde?" the courier asked, studying Marian warily, with his ears half-raised.

"That would be me," Marian replied, placing her free paw atop her other on her cane.

"One package for delivery," he told her, holding up a shipping tube that was not overly large, even for a bunny. "No signature required."

Marian gave Judy a confused glance, then took the cardboard tube from the bunny. "Thank you. Who sent it?"

"No idea," the bunny replied, scribbling something on a clipboard. "Shipper is listed as 'Admirer'."

Marian laughed and shook her head. "Well I know I have none of those, especially here. You certain it's for Marian Wilde?"

"Most bunnies these days can read," the courier replied, putting away the clipboard. He then looked between Nick and Marian. "I'm sorry. Not to say foxes can't…"

"Get moving, fuzzball," Nick warned. "That cane's more for smacking than it is for her balance these days."

The bunny backed away, then ran, leaving the platform in a hurry.

They all watched Marian, until she cleared her throat and looked a bit self-conscious. "Fine. I'll open it, but only because you all insisted."

Handing her cane to Finnick, Marian popped the seal on the top of the package. She peeked inside, then tilted the tube and let a single dark red rose slide out into her paw, with the cut end fitted with a small plastic container of water.

"That really does seem like something an admirer might send," Judy offered, smiling happily as she bounced on her toes. Despite having no idea where it came from, she was always excited for others who had the attention of a special someone. "I'm assuming foxes like flowers almost as much as we do? Maybe a little less because they aren't also snacks, but it's still pretty."

"Yes, it really is," Marian said softly, turning the flower in her paw. After a moment, she shivered and threw it under the wheels of the train. The package, she tossed into a nearby trash bin. "Let's forget that happened."

Judy felt her ears and tail fall, and when she looked at Nick and Finnick, they both were staring at Marian with mouths ajar and tails down.

"I'm too old for that nonsense," Marian assured them, without meeting anyone's eyes. She limped slowly toward the station without her cane. "Now, where is our ride? Does anyone have any interesting news they want to share? Anything? Anything at all that doesn't have to do with flowers?"

Nick finally blinked and turned to watch Judy, and she silently managed to ask him what was going on, but his reply was little more than a helpless arm-flailing shrug and vague gesture toward Marian. There was no sense in arguing while Marian wandered off, so Judy gave Nick a worried stare, hoping he understood she was concerned whenever Marian hid things from them, then she followed his mother toward the station.

"You know you're not supposed to walk without your cane yet," Judy reminded Marian, taking her paw to help her maintain balance. "Healing, yes, but you're not fully recovered."

"I know, honey," Marian admitted, still walking. "I'm just a bit rattled by that delivery, and it feels good to use my own two legs without the sensation that I'm about to keel over."

"The medicine's working already?"

Marian smiled and kept them moving toward the doors of the train station's only building. "Remarkably well. I never will understand how Nicky got someone to develop a cure for something only I had, but I'm grateful, even if I don't want it to go to his head. I feel stronger than I have in the last few years. I have to go back for transfusions and checkups three more times, but after that, I should be as good as I'll get. They said it won't completely heal me, but even if I stop recovering right now, I almost feel my true age again. No jokes about me being old, or we'll have an argument, Judy."

"I wouldn't dream of it, mom. Besides, you're not that old."

"That's why you're a better animal than my boys. You're kind and respectful, even when others are watching. They have reputations they think they need to maintain, so they act out."

Before Judy could come up with some way to paint at least Nick in a slightly better light, she saw her father pull up their truck in the nearby lot. "Looks like our ride is here. Should I go back for the luggage?"

"No, the boys can handle that," Marian assured her, patting her paw. "I needed to talk with your father, anyway, and I want you there."

"You…what? Why?" Judy asked, suddenly nervous. Remembering what she had mistakenly told Marian in the hospital, Judy felt as though she might need to panic and run soon.

"Nothing that will get you in trouble, dear."

While that did nothing to reassure Judy, Stu was almost to them, so she decided to let it drop. He rushed over to them, holding his hat on, until he got to Judy and pulled her into a smothering hug.

"Oh, Jude, it's so good to see you again," he said into her neck fur.

"I saw you a week ago, dad," she reminded him, though she clutched him right back, thankful for family, even when they were being weird. It was also nice to finally be getting comfortable with physical contact again, without her heart racing. Each new mammal who touched her had been a struggle for several weeks. "Don't tell me you forgot about helping us move this soon."

"Heavens no, Jude." Stu finally released her and looked her up and down. "Still kind of worried you're going to disappear again on us. That and you aren't eating enough."

"Not going anywhere anytime soon," she assured him, smiling happily.

"Funny you should bring that up," Marian cut in, pausing briefly as Stu shook her paw. "When Judy was away, there was some mention of blaming Nick for her disappearance?"

Stu shook his head, then shrugged, and finally nodded. "Well, yeah. I was scared and angry, and he was with her when she vanished, so it's only natural…"

Marian bent over so she was almost level with Stu's face. "Stu, I have nothing but respect for you and your family, but do not threaten my son. He loves your daughter something fierce. Blaming him was dismissive of his feelings for her. Do you think he felt any less pain than you did? How would you feel if I blamed you for something happening to Bonnie?"

Stu swallowed hard and shrunk back. "Sorry, ma'am. No, it wasn't fair. I know he means well, but it's one thing to love someone, and something very different for them to be family. I overreacted and I'm sorry… Wait, don't tell me. I shouldn't be apologizing to you. I'll talk with him. That I promise."

At the mention of love versus family, Marian glanced at Judy from the corner of her eyes, but said nothing. The brief moment made Judy more self-conscious than anything she could have said, and Judy wondered if maybe it had been a mistake to say something to Marian about her long-term plans. There was a lasting fear Marian might speak up long before Judy was ready. With this particular weekend, it was a very real risk, with the families together.

"Whatever you do decide," Marian told Stu, touching his shoulder gently in a clear statement that all was forgiven, "don't let him know I said anything. This needs to come from you, not me."

"Of course, of course," Stu assured her, grinning nervously. "We've got four days. I'll find a time to pull him aside."

"Before the big feast," Judy added, getting an odd look from them both. "It's only fair that he can get that off his back before we all sit down together. He'll have enough to deal with when my sisters start grilling him with questions."

"True, that's very true," Stu said, nodding vigorously. "Looks like they're almost ready. We should get going."

Judy looked back and saw that Nick and Finnick were struggling their way over, pulling their own baggage, as well as hers and Marian's. Despite the difficulties they were having, Nick gave her the most heartfelt smile, and she knew this was going to be a good holiday. Hurrying back, she helped him drag the bags out to the truck and load them.

Judy woke in her childhood bed the next morning, immediately aware of where she was by the scents that felt like something lost to her so long ago. The flower-patterned sheets and bright violet comforter were distinctly aspects of her old home, replaced in recent years by a larger bed and different styles of sheets. Still, it was cathartic to wake in her parents' home, as a pleasant return to something she was moving away from in life. There was so much that had changed, yet this was still a huge part of her who she was, and always would be. Now, it was even more soothing after the time she had spent in Ursian lands, giving her a fresh hold to what she had grown up with.

Gentle nibbling on her ears made Judy smile even more broadly. Though it had been reluctant, her father had been the one to admit they did not intend to push the issue of Nick sleeping elsewhere, or even on a floor mattress. The bed was far too small for them, but in the damp chill of the burrow, having a fox all but wrapped around oneself was remarkably comforting.

"If you drool on my head, we're going to have words, Nick," she teased, without doing anything to stop him from his morning ritual.

"That was one time, Fluff," he replied testily. "I was still asleep when it happened, and I swear I inhaled your ear mid-snore, rather than drooling on you. You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope. Never. You taught me well."

Nick huffed and went back to nipping at the tips of her ears, and one of his paws slid down and stroked her hip and upper leg. After a few seemingly-aimless wanderings of his paw, his thumb claw hooked the top of her boxer shorts, and teased at moving them down.

"Whatcha doing there, Slick?"

"Still asleep. Can't talk now."

"Worst excuse ever. We should get up, not whatever you're thinking."

"One of us already is up. Hard not to be with the two of us crowded into this bed."

"If you start that, we're never making it out of this room, and we have plenty to do today."

Nick stopped what he was doing and leaned over her, so he could look her in the corner of the eye. "We're on vacation. What do you mean 'plenty to do'? I only heard that we're eating a lot and sleeping in. I agreed to this when it sounded like a lazy weekend."

"You heard what you wanted to hear, as usual. Today," she began, rolling onto her back so she could see him more easily, "your mother and my parents are going to spend the day together, while Finnick is mauled by my younger siblings, who see him as a glorified stuffed animal. Tonight's the big public festival, which we're all going to, where there will be way too much alcohol, but I want to see if we can escape the actual festivities, because they're…not why we're here in town. Tomorrow afternoon is the family dinner—"

Nick smiled and nodded as she spoke, but one claw was definitely sliding her shorts down. Swatting his paw away, she continued without pausing.

"—and after that, social food coma and light drinking. Sunday's for recovery and the ride home later in the evening. Like I said, lots to do."

"Do all bunny festivals involve alcohol? So far, they seem like they do, Carrots."

"No, not all," she answered, a little more timidly than she meant to. Somehow, she had not quite managed to tell him that two festivals each year were far more focused on getting younger single bunnies hooked up than the rest, and the alcohol was more for lowering inhibitions than anything else. If he had known this was one such festival, she doubted he would have agreed to come along. Still, this was the most family-oriented festival of the year, and the first such after her return to the city. Avoiding the public festivities was going to be important, if she was going to keep him from learning more than he wanted about this festival. "Farm bunnies take partying very seriously, and that means a few drinks. You can stay sober if you want."

"Hey, hey, let's not be drastic here," he told her, putting on a look of mock-horror. "I'm just trying to fit in. These bunny traditions might be too confusing for me."

When Nick's paws drifted low again, Judy grabbed one and thumped it to his chest to get the point across. "You're starting to make me think you're as single-minded as some bucks I've known. Let's get something straight here. I'm putting my paw down and saying we're not going to do that before the dinner tomorrow. I enjoy it as much as you do—maybe more—but is that really the only thing you think about with me? I wonder sometimes."

The mock-horror on Nick's face faded rapidly into a true worry and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Your reputation is for being clever. Ours is for…extra-curricular activities. If all we have is sex, I have to wonder if it's because you're with a bunny. I need to know there's more to us than that. Looking for some reassurance here."

Nick's eyes went distant for a moment, which Judy recognized as different from when he was making up a story. This time, he was being introspective, searching out both what had caused the discussion and how he truly felt. When he blinked and returned to the moment, he lay down on his back, with his head resting on her shoulder.

"Ok, you might not believe all of this, but hear me out," he told her.

"I'm listening."

"Do I like having sex with you? Yes, absolutely, that's not in doubt," he said, sounding very much to Judy as though he was still reasoning his way through his thoughts, or preparing a presentation. "Never been happier in my life in that department, without exaggeration. This is probably going to sound sappy, but it isn't really about sex itself. It's about being with you, being near you, and sharing a moment. Don't think less of me for this, but I'm this happy watching a movie, rubbing your paws, or even arguing with you. Sex is an easy way to show that, when you're an insecure fox with no talent for admitting to how he feels. Consider it my clumsy way of saying that I can't find the right words to tell you how much I love you. If you want to replace sex with cuddling or spontaneous hugs every so often, I'm fine with it."

Judy could not help but squeak with joy at the kindness in what Nick was rambling through. Somehow, he had managed to put into words the way she felt, no matter how many hours she had spent trying to reason it out. Had he been trying to seduce her, he pretty much nailed the perfect things to say. On some level, she wished he had managed to be so introspective months prior.

"Thanks," Judy told him, kissing the top of his head. "That's what I needed to hear."

"Thanks?" he demanded, rolling back over so he was on his paws and knees, looking down at her. "That's it? I spill my heartfelt feelings and I get 'Thanks'?"

Judy sat up slightly, so she could plant a big kiss on his muzzle, just above the nose. "Yup. You helped me decide something. You've been a huge help."

"You, my dear bunny, are a brat," Nick replied, glaring at her. "Guessing you aren't going to tell me, either."

"You know you love me," she answered, putting her paws behind her head to stare up at him, gloating.

"Yes, yes I do. Be thankful for that. Who else would put up with this nonsense?"

Judy giggled and slid to the edge of the bed and sat up. An idea dawned on her as she paused there, and she raised her ears as she turned to look over at Nick. "Hey, Nick? You remember you were telling me about that whole idea of a 'walk of shame' some mammals do after a night they're not overly proud of in the city?"

"Yup. Tail between the legs, slinking home, wondering why you agreed to something. Not that I've done that. Don't believe Finnick if he tells you otherwise, or offers pictures."

"We bunnies have a slightly different tradition," she said, getting up. Going to her dresser, she grabbed the towels set out for herself and Nick. "A bunny who brought someone home who is seen alone in the morning is more or less doing your walk of shame, because it implies their partner didn't want to stick around. They get asked a lot of questions—like I did the last time you visited. I'd like to go take a shower. Will you join me?"

Nick did a double-take, staring at her like he expected the offer to be a joke. "You're not serious. Your parents would kill me if I'm in the wrong showers and anyone sees."

"That's not really how it works here," she explained, tossing his towel to him. "There are smaller semi-private showers for those who don't want to see any of that, or are young, or not with someone, or whatnot. I used to always use those ones as a kit, and it's what we used last time. Someone bringing their partner into the two-mammal shower rooms—regardless of gender—isn't really a bad thing in the burrows. It's sort of like claiming them, licking them, or whatever. The assignment of the bathrooms by gender is mostly ignored, anyway. C'mon…you scared?"

For a moment, she actually thought Nick might refuse. Finally, he smiled and got up, sliding the towel over his shoulders. A dare was rarely something he could refuse, which she had been counting on.

"Okay, what am I getting myself into?" he asked. "We sneak off to the showers together, get cleaned up as usual? Kind of a sneaky rite of passage thing?"

"Not…exactly," she told him more nervously. Somehow, this was almost more difficult than telling him she loved him the first time. "The goal is to be seen going there. Showing off, and showing you don't care who knows. It's pretty much the opposite of how we act in the city, and very much the opposite of my nature."

"We prance down the hall—see, I do know what prancing is—and go take a shower. I miss anything?"

"Just follow my lead, okay? It'll be fine."

"Who are we convincing? You or me, Fluff?"

Judy was not actually sure, herself. Rather than try to answer and let Nick know how uncertain she was, she put her towel over her shoulders and took his paw. "C'mon. Let's start the day the way my family would want us to—well, they would if you were a bunny. They might not all accept things as they are."

Leading Nick out the door and into the hall, Judy did not have long to wait for things to get awkward. They had only made it four rooms from hers before the first of her relatives came up the hall toward them. Arlene had a young—and very tired-looking—buck in tow, and both looked to have been freshly showered. At their approach, Arlene's eyes went wide and she looked very nearly ready to come bounding down the hall to congratulate Judy, all but confirming what Judy had long believed: Her siblings did not believe she was as close with Nick as their parents implied.

"Judy, good morning!" Arlene said, the excitement bubbling over as she reached them. "Did dad let you two stay together? That's so progressive of him."

"Yes, dad's growing up and realizing things can be a lot more complicated than how they were when he was our age. Now, we're going to try and get ready…"

Arlene smiled up at Nick, then patted Judy's shoulder. "You two are so cute together! Oh, and all the small showers are full. You'll need to use the communal ones. Have fun!"

Judy's skin went cold, and Nick must have noticed, as he slunk a little closer and put a paw on her shoulder.

"You sure you're doing all right?" he asked, genuinely sounding worried. "You don't have to show me off. Really."

"Yeah, of course I'm fine," she answered, forcing herself to perk up and lead him onward. "I want to do this, so I'm having to overcome some personal limitations. Remember how I had problems with public nudity at the Oasis?"

"I do."

"Let's just say that I'm going to be struggling with this," she replied, as they reached the bathroom door. "Remember. It's all perfectly natural in a bunny burrow. Nothing to freak out about."

"Pretty sure you're talking to yourself again."

Judy shrugged and forced herself to march into the bathroom. Instead of turning right and heading into the smaller showers for the shyer members of the family—like herself—she led the way into the main shower room, with Nick following a few steps behind. To her dismay, the room was filled with more than twenty of her sisters, along with their partners. For the briefest of moments, she had a possessive worry about Nick looking at her sisters in the shower, but that faded away when she realized Nick was all but catatonic, glancing around frantically for escape as though the bunnies were going to attack him.

No longer the most nervous mammal in the shower room, Judy found herself finally able to relax and recognize that no one really cared, beyond the mild surprise at seeing a fox walk in. A few whispers happened as family explained who Nick was, but within seconds, the bunnies had all gone back to showering, or helping their partners get clean.

"I… I don't think I can do this," Nick told her, backing slightly into the hallway with his towel held up over his midsection, despite still wearing his boxer shorts.

"I thought you never let anything get to you?" Judy asked him, managing a coy smirk. "C'mon! They're family. It's fine. No one cares if you're in here."

To try to emphasize her point, Judy pulled off her shirt and boxers, tossing them onto a bench near the entrance with a flourish. What she had not counted on was several of her sisters noticing the scar on her stomach and staring at it. Likely, the missing fur near the bullet wound on her side and thin scars on her arms and back did not help, either, though those were nearly filled back in. The urge to hide behind Nick was strong, but she reached back and took his paw to draw him into the showers, hoping he would follow her lead. To her surprise, he had planted his hind paws, and was not moving.

Turning to fully face Nick, Judy held his paw with both of hers, applying light pressure to move him forward. "Say the word and we go. I'm not going to force you to do anything."

Nick's panicked stare darted to one of Judy's cousins and her boyfriend, who walked past, naked. He winced and shut his eyes briefly, before reopening them to stare at Judy. "I think I can do this. Give me a second. I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you."

"Take your time," she assured him. The more she concentrated on his fears, the less her own seemed to weigh her down. The mere fact that her scars were more startling to her family than having a fox in the shower was a huge relief.

Nick finally calmed down and began undressing, clearly trying to avoid looking around. Judy waited patiently, barely noticing the other bunnies coming and going from the shower…until a small tan mammal wandered past.

"Hey Nicky. Hey Judy," Finnick said jovially, as he walked by them, entirely naked. With him were two of Judy's cousins. In passing, Finnick looked down at Judy's stomach, and added, "Wicked scar. Can't wait to hear all about it. Didn't know that white stripe went all the way down. Missed that the one time you were showing off."

"That did not just happen," Nick said to no one in particular, still holding his boxers in one paw, as he stared at the floor near Judy's hind paws. "Tell me my brother did not walk in here as naked as a kit, with two of your relatives on his arms, admiring your patterning."

Judy clenched her jaw and grinned half-heartedly. She did not want to admit how unhappy she was that Finnick was in the same shower she was, or that he had the time on his paws to evaluate how she looked naked. "I probably shouldn't lie…"

Slowly, she managed to coax Nick into the stream of one of the available showers, where he quickly calmed down and paid more attention to helping her lather her fur than the other bunnies. It took some time to get him to fully relax and accept the idea of communal showering—and that it had nothing whatsoever to do with sex—but almost immediately after he had started to relax as he soaped up her back fur, Nick abruptly froze.

"Nick?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Those aren't your paws on my back," he replied, eyes wide as he stood rigidly in the spray of water.

Leaning, Judy saw that Jackie was on Nick's far side, holding a bottle of furpoo, and was almost pressed against Nick's back, straddling his tail. Glaring at her sister, Judy snapped, "Sweet cheese and crackers, what do you think you're doing, Jackie?"

Jackie grinned and held up the bottle. "Helping? The little fox said they were into sharing, so I was thinking maybe—"

"Nope!" Judy snapped, scrambling past Nick and stepping solidly between Jackie and him. The cackling from Finnick across the shower room let her know he had set this up on purpose, much like Nick's unwillingness to even breathe told her how he felt about it. "Paws off! First rule of the burrow is always to knock first…asking first goes for asking before groping, too. Can't you see this is all a little new for him? You're not helping! Even if he was used to this, why would you think that's okay?"

Jackie smiled, and one paw slid out of sight—likely onto Nick's lower back near his tail, judging by the way his eyes widened further. "Don't be like that, Judy. I'm trying to be friendly, the way the other one said. He told me all foxes like two or more partners."

Nick's eyes narrowed, and he glared across the room at Finnick, before spinning on Jackie, yanking his tail free. "First off, never listen to anything Finnick says. Second, never listen to anything he says about me, especially if it involves paws below the beltline. Third, you didn't think to ask me _or_ Judy before groping me? Kind of doing the monogamous thing, and this is not helping."

Jackie blinked, as her ears sank. "I'm… I'm really sorry. I didn't think before I acted. Happens a lot with me. I didn't mean to upset either of you. I really was trying to be nice. I thought foxes were into that. I was trying to show the family wasn't scared of foxes."

Judy prepared to unleash a stream of obscenities—or as close as she could manage—on Jackie, but Nick managed to keep his composure and bent down slightly to talk to Jackie. Judy did not have the heart to remind him that bending over while wet and naked probably was not the way he wanted the rest of the bunnies in the shower to remember him.

"Okay, listen," Nick told Jackie, any hint of anger gone from his voice. "I'm flattered. Really, I am. Couple years ago, I'd have been thrilled to be surprise-groped, but times change. Never saw myself as the carrot-farmer type, but it grows on you. Despite that, open relationships aren't so much my thing, and it's my understanding they're not hers, either. Even if I thought I could get away with it, and she'd never find out, I'm with her and not wavering. Getting fondled in a shower alongside her is right out."

Judy's anger faded rapidly, as she smiled at Nick's back. Apparently, she did not need to worry about how he might handle things. To her surprise, even Jackie smiled at that.

"You've got a good one here," Jackie told Judy, bouncing a little, which sprayed water from her ear tips. "He passes the Hopps test. He's a keeper."

As Jackie bounded off toward another part of the shower room, Nick turned to stare at Judy. "Hopps test? That's a thing?"

"If it is, I don't know about it," she admitted, stepping back into the water and trying not to look around any more than she had to. Her peripheral vision betrayed her briefly, and she thought she saw Finnick a little too close for comfort with one of her cousins. "In case you missed it, the doe who just got to third base with your tail is Jackie. Let's get done in here before anything else weird happens."


	26. Chapter 10-4

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.4 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **November 29** **th** **, Friday – Festival Square, Bunnyburrow**

"I feel like I'm going to step on someone," Marian grumbled, as they made their way through the massive warehouse that had been converted for the festival gathering, due to ongoing light snowfall outside. That same snowfall had left her trapped with the Hopps clan for most of the day, leading to Marian commenting more than once that she was a little overwhelmed by the burrow's numbers. "How does anyone around here manage to do anything without getting trampled?"

Judy kept Marian and Nick moving, using her elbows when necessary to keep forward progress through the mass of bunnies. To her, it did not feel that much different from navigating downtown Zootopia, but she knew Nick generally tried to skirt around crowds, rather than walk straight through them. About the only thing that felt unusual to her was being dressed up in fall or spring attire, in the middle of winter. Unlike the last party Nick had come to, this time she wore jeans and a light purple shirt, while he was a bit overdressed in slacks and a buttoned non-Hawaiian shirt. Marian had dressed in an elegant but simple dress, which Judy got the impression had not seen the light of day in more than a few years. Finnick, for his part, had dressed little different than he did every day of the year, other than a massive fleece-lined jacket, which had been left at the warehouse entrance.

They soon reached the back end of the heated warehouse, where long canopies had been attached to the larger doors, extending the warmed area by almost half-again. There, the ten families that controlled most of Bunnyburrow had gathered, beginning their own celebrations a day early, which meant most of their members were already so far past drunk as to be comical. That particular section of the warehouse was not where Judy was headed, but she used it as a landmark, turning to her left to lead them toward the small section the Hopps family had secured.

It took effort to keep from skipping, which she managed only because she did not want to lose Marian in the chaotic swirl of rabbits. Once they broke into the relative open space held by her kin, she was able to look back and make sure she had everyone. She did her head-count twice, but the results were the same each time.

"Nick, where's your brother?" Judy asked, standing up as high she could on tiptoes, searching for Finnick in the crowds. She was not among the tallest in the burrow, but she could see most of the room clearly, especially on tiptoes—that was one advantage of being a rabbit, as they could increase their height by almost a quarter, if needed. "He was _right there_ a minute ago."

"Ran off right after we got in here," Nick replied, shaking his head as he helped Marian out of the way, and over toward some of the seats. "The two does from the shower ran off with him and—"

"Excuse me?" Marian cut in, her attention locked on Nick. "What _have_ you been up to, Nicky?"

Nick immediately ducked his head and tucked tail. "No, mom, nothing like… Okay, a little like you're thinking. Communal showers. It's a bunny thing. Don't freak out."

Marian rolled her eyes and gave Nick a disgusted stare, before smiling at Judy. "I honestly don't know why I'm surprised anymore. Was Nick at least pretending to be a gentlefox with a shred of manners, or do I need to hang my head in shame before meeting your family and open with an apology?"

"You've got nothing to apologize for, and neither does he. My family's a lot more open than yours, so he'd have to work hard to embarrass anyone more than me," Judy assured her. She could not help but laugh as Nick continued to slink about, clearly thinking he was in trouble. "C'mon, I want you to meet my grandmother and granduncles and aunts. I think about thirty of them showed up. The rest should be here tomorrow for dinner."

Judy led Marian over to her family's tables, where Stu and Bonnie practically leapt up to greet her. Even before Marian reached them, they had a plate arranged for her, several glasses of wine, and had sent younger children to fetch a larger chair. They took care of the rest of the introductions, all but freeing Judy to get back to the festivities. As they got Marian seated, a bunny Judy knew who worked for a local delivery service ran over to Marian and handed her what appeared to be another tube like the one she had gotten at the train station. This time, Marian did not even open it, and instead held up a paw to silence Judy before she said anything about it.

 _She's the most popular animal in a town she's never visited before_ , Judy mused, shrugging. Turning, she found Nick nearby, self-consciously tapping a hind paw with both forepaws in his pockets, looking around. She skipped over to him, and pulled his paw from his pocket.

"No skulking about," she insisted, dragging him with her across the warehouse. "What's first? Drinks or dancing?"

"You know I don't really dance, Fluff. Drinks, if you think you're getting me dancing anytime soon. Where are all the bunnies going? Looks like the far side of the room is a lot busier. Are there games over there or something?"

"Nowhere! Don't worry about it!" she answered a bit quicker than she had meant to. Diverting somewhat right of the middle of the warehouse, she took him toward the bar, which ran almost the full length of the wall. At their approach, a few dozen bunnies scattered, clearing a path for her—more likely for Nick, but she did not even care as happy as she was. The wait for drinks was short, and within a few minutes, she had placed a large glass of scotch in his paw, and raspberry whiskey in hers. That seemed to sooth Nick's nerves, as he finally stopped watching each new group of bunnies suspiciously.

"Spit it out, Slick."

Nick's ears shot up, and he looked at her as though caught in some kind of trap. "What? I just got my drink."

"Not the scotch. Spit out what's got you so jumpy."

Nick crinkled up his muzzle as he thought, then motioned toward a less-occupied section of the floor. He started walking without saying anything else, and she followed, genuinely perplexed what was getting to him this time. Once they were as alone as someone could really be in a warehouse filled to the brim with bunnies, he seemed to contemplate his words before answering, though he took two more good sized swigs of scotch before he did.

"I have a few really important questions, Fluff," he told her, leaning close so she could hear over the din of so many talking animals. "Can we start with why your village has this many festivals that involve heavy drinking? You didn't really answer that this morning. In fact, I felt like you were dodging the question pretty hard, including when you snuck off to make phone calls. I think you did that just so you didn't have to answer."

Judy looked over at a group of bunnies nearby who were already too drunk to stand, and getting a bit more paws-on cuddly than was entirely appropriate for public. She smiled at Nick, trying not to draw extra attention to them. "Harvest, planting, and a few miscellaneous festivals for general revelry. I'm sure most of the outer villages and provinces are like this. We don't have the entertainments the city does. The phone calls…mostly family who hadn't arrived yet."

"I'll accept that." Nick next pointed to one of the side doors of the warehouse, where many bunnies were coming and going from a rough dirt burrow in the snowy ground. "What's the story with the hole in the ground? You've been steering me away from that from the moment we entered. I wouldn't have paid much attention if you weren't trying hard to keep me away from it."

Judy cringed this time. There was no easy way to explain things without getting into the specifics of what the festival was actually about, but she was going to try. "That… Okay, you know how the carnival in the city has the tunnel of love, for no other purpose than to get the lovers out of everyone else's faces?"

"Yeah. I had to explain that one to you, as I recall."

"This is kind of the burrows' version of that. Private little dens, mood lighting, the whole works. You know, bunny stuff. We can be an affectionate bunch. It mostly appeals to teens, but it's open to anyone who wants to sneak away from family for a bit and snuggle…or whatever."

The longer Nick watched the side burrow, the more skeptical he appeared. "I'll buy that, but why do their families seem really overly happy for those who come out of there? I swear, you bunnies…"

"Enough questions!" she insisted, and thankfully he stopped trying to ask about anything. "You've got a drink. What's it gonna be, Slick? Lounge and meet more of the family, or dance?"

Nick took a while considering that, until a buck passed very close to them, and Nick shoved his quarter-full cup into the smaller animal's paws. Without pausing long enough to let the buck ask questions, Nick bowed deeply to Judy, then looked up and asked, "May I have this dance? Last time I did this, we had some flirting that got a little awkward…"

"You may, and let's hope it's not awkward anymore," she told him, laughing at his over-the-top formality, as she took his paw. "Dance with me, you dummy."

With a flourish, Nick swept her into a quick spin, and pulled her with him out onto the dance floor. For the next hour or better, he proved his utter incompetence at actually dancing, but she really did not care. They both were bad at dancing, and so were half the other bunnies out there. All she could do was giggle each time she recognized how foolish they looked, even as she enjoyed it and tried not to step on his toes.

In time, they began to slow, and thankfully, so did the music. To Nick, it was likely just a transition in musical style, but Judy knew better. The festival would ebb and flow, giving the locals a chance to sneak off when things eased, before picking up the pace again. Sure enough, those on the dance floor were largely being replaced by others.

In the noise the crowd created, Judy could not really talk with Nick, so she motioned to the side of the room, trying to let him know that she—and her aching paws—needed a break. He nodded and they made their way to the edges of the warehouse, where the crowds thinned, and they found a place to sit down, not far from her family.

"How can I spend all day on my paws chasing down criminals and an hour on the dance floor can make them hurt this much?" she asked, laughing as Nick made a grabbing motion toward her hind paws. "You're too eager to help. We should probably get back to our families, not get distracted."

Seemingly summoned by the word "distracted," Jack came up alongside Judy, grinning down at them both. "Hey, you two! Mom wanted me to wander over and see if you'd disappeared into the love burrow, but I told her not to worry about it. Glad I found you two. Was thinking I was going to owe her an apology."

Judy caught her breath, realizing she was a hair's breadth away from having to explain the burrow to Nick in more detail than she had previously. "Nope! Right here. We were dancing. Just taking a break. No burrow for us…shoo!"

"You look like he insulted your entire life's plan, Carrots," Nick said, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see that he was giving Jack a confused stare. "It's a make-out spot. What's the big deal if we did or didn't go there?"

Judy frantically shook her head, trying to meet Jack's eyes, but he was too easily distracted. He had turned to look at Nick and begun talking without even noticing her.

"Oh, she didn't tell you about that? No, not a make-out spot…well, not entirely. The love burrow's a tradition with the winter festival. Lovers head down there and make promises, usually announcing their intention to marry or be formal mates. Always a _lot_ of new kits in the months after this festival!"

Judy slammed her face down on her palm. _So much for keeping that one to myself. Now I look like a jerk for avoiding talking about it with him. Argh!_

"No, not heading down there right this minute," Nick replied, without missing a beat. "Tell both of our moms that I haven't dragged her off to the burrow…yet. May need to check back each hour, though."

Jack laughed and waved as he ran off into the crowd in the vague direction of the Hopps family tables.

"I know I should have explained…" Judy started, then realized she had no idea how to continue and let the thought trail off.

"Yeah, probably," Nick replied, sliding up close alongside her, and bumping her with his elbow. "I get it. Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea and assuming I'm trying to rush anything."

"You?" she asked, blinking up at him, before she remembered he had once told her among foxes the males were more likely to be the ones to propose. "Oh, right. Around here, that'd be awfully presumptuous of you. What if I said no to even going down?"

"There's a phrasing joke in that last part, but I doubt you'd say no in that setting, given experiences," Nick teased, grinning. "Seriously though. The burrow thingy is about promises, not just marriage and matings?"

"More or less. There aren't a lot of other promises those in relationships tend to offer that requires a private place with poor lighting."

Nick tilted his head to peek at her with one eye. "Captain Carrots, would you be so kind as to escort me into a big hole in the ground?"

Judy snorted and shrugged. She turned her face away to add to the teasing. "Gotta make it sound a lot more romantic than that before I even answer."

For a few seconds, Nick seemed ready to back down, but then grumbled as he got up. Turning, he came around to stand in front of her. All she could do was stare at him in horror as he took a knee and reached out to take her paw, which she hid in her lap. Almost as an afterthought, she even slid her hind paws up as close to her body as she could. Nervously, she glanced around at the nearest bunnies, but no one had taken notice of the kneeling fox yet.

"Judy," he said, far more seriously. Nick beckoned for her paw, but she did not budge. "Would you do me the honor of being my plus-one for a visit to the love burrow?"

Judy could feel her nose twitching spastically, but she could not make it stop. "Why?"

The look of slightly hurt feelings Nick gave her made her resolve waver. "I know you're not ready for a big step, Judy. I really wanted to get a break from the crowds, and maybe give your brother a tiny heart attack. Nothing more. Maybe a few heartfelt promises, but nothing that serious today."

"Nothing serious?" she managed to ask softly. This entire line of discussion was close to derailing so many things, and Nick had no idea. "Not today?"

"I promise it won't be today. Better take me up on this in the next hour or two, or I might be able to bend that promise if we get near midnight."

Judy stuck her tongue out at Nick, then took his paw with hers. "I'm holding you to that."

Nick pulled her to her hind paws, and used her forward momentum to sweep her into a hug, before kissing the top of her head. "I think I'm not supposed to lead in this part of town, right? You want to lead the way? Don't wanna get myself beat up by a bunch of does who object to me looking like I have some say in anything."

"Don't be a brat," Judy told him, but held his paw and led the way toward the exit from the warehouse, which was not far away. "We'll go check it out, but we're not staying down there. I'm holding to what I told you this morning. Nothing too heated—"

Judy lost her thought as she walked fully into someone, as she had been watching Nick over her shoulder as she marched through the warehouse. They were only a few strides from the burrow, and when she turned to see who she had hit, she found herself looking up at one of only a handful of foxes who lived in Bunnyburrow: Gideon Grey.

"Hey Judy!" Gideon bellowed, far louder than he really needed to in the loud warehouse. "I've been meaning to find you and say hi to your fellow, who I heard ain't dead. Oh, this him? Howdy!"

Gideon offered a flour-stained paw to Nick, who stared at it in confusion, head slightly cocked.

"That's me. Nick Wilde at your service. I had no idea there were any foxes living in the burrows," Nick said, looking Gideon over from head to toe and back. "Huh. The way the Hoppses acted when they met me, I really assumed they hadn't met any of us until Carrots moved to the city."

"Carrots? Oh, that's clever!" Gideon laughed, grinning at Judy. "Cuz she eats carrots, right?"

Nick's tongue click was audible to Judy even over the noise in the warehouse. She winced and kept her ears down, dreading where this was going. Nick was going to end up making fun of Gideon for being a country hick. Before she could say anything, he asked Gideon, "Yeah, that's about it. I didn't catch your name. You've known Judy for a while?"

"Oh, where's my manners?" Gideon exclaimed, and seemed to notice the flour on his paw. He wiped it unceremoniously on his shirt, and offered it again, getting it shaken properly this time by Nick. "Gid. Local baker."

Judy looked up at their clasped paws, and watched as Nick's tightened, keeping Gideon from pulling away. She had been afraid of this. All of the fear of violence she had tried to keep out of her life since escaping Rolen resurfaced, and she started to panic. Try as she might, she could not keep her paws from trembling at the idea of Nick starting a conflict in the burrows.

"Gid? As in, Gideon?" Nick asked, his humor fading into a far angrier tone.

"Um, yeah, that's me," answered Gideon, staring at their paws. "Firm shake you got there, Nick."

The faint growl from Nick silenced a dozen conversations around them, and Judy prepared herself to knock him on his tail if he tried to pick this fight, if she could make herself move in time.

"Are you the same Gideon who kicked the stuffing out of Judy for a couple years, when she was young? The same one who tore up her face, and left her with those three little scars under her fur?"

Gideon looked as though he might be sick. "I… Yeah, that was me. I made a lotta bad decisions when I was younger. Judy beat me pretty good when she was a teenager, and I started questioning why I was always so angry. Rough time for me, but yeah, I did those things to her and a bunch of others. Ain't proud of none of it. Spent a lotta time talkin' to some professionals and turned my life around."

Judy lifted her left hind paw. She knew she could knock Nick to the floor in one good kick, and that would give Gideon a chance to get away. It would cause a huge scene in the warehouse, but she could probably talk her way out of it, even if she had to leave right away with Nick.

To her shock and amazement, Nick did not take a swing at Gideon. Instead, he dropped Gideon's paw and grabbed him in a big hug.

"Thank you for being a shit as a kit," Nick told Gideon, who had his ears straight up in surprise. "If she hadn't forgiven you years ago, I'd probably try to beat your muzzle in, but the fact is, you are the reason she's so stubborn and fearless now. You helped make her into the best cop I've ever seen. In a roundabout way, if you hadn't been awful, she'd never have come after me. I owe you a lot, Gid."

The larger fox smiled nervously and patted Nick's back, until Nick released him. "Uh, thanks, I think. I…I'm sorry, Judy. I got in the way of where you two were…" Gideon stopped talking as he visually traced the path they had been walking, and pointed at the love burrow. "Oh…um…huh. I should…uh…go…"

Judy groaned and put a paw over her face. "Gid, we weren't about to—"

"Thanks, you're right, we should get back to that," Nick cut in, moving Judy along toward the burrow. "Cya!"

Judy let herself be led for another ten steps, before planting herself and bringing them to a halt. "That was not nice, Nick. He's going to go tell half the town I'm about to ask you to be my mate."

"Nah, he won't," Nick told her, taking her paw and letting her lead the way at her own pace. "He's more confused than your brother would be. Jack would tell half the town. Gid's going to go sit in a corner and wonder if he knows what's going on."

"You are way too chipper," Judy told him, as they reached the entrance to the love burrow. Guiding him down in the candlelit passage, she took him past a few dozen side passages, where she could hear activity—amorous activity or whispers, for the most part. The mild chill in the tunnels from the winter above ground only helped encourage cuddling. Eventually, she found one where there were no sounds, and led him into a secluded room, with its own candles. There, she sat down on the soft hay laid out for whoever stopped by, and he sat down alongside her. "Are you drunk? Please tell me you're not drunk."

Nick glowered at her, then seemed to consider it. He closed his eyes and tried to touch his nose, only to end up poking himself in the eyelid. "Yeah, a little. You bunnies don't mess around with your booze. I might have sneaked an extra shot or two on our way in, and I drank the scotch a bit too fast."

Laying her head on his chest as he reclined on the wall, she waited a bit for him to say anything, but he stayed quiet. "You're being awfully close-mouthed now. Thought you were the one who wanted to come down here."

"Mostly curiosity," he admitted. With his left paw, he began stroking her head fur, smoothing it back across the base of her ears.

"Mostly?"

"Yeah, mostly." He petted her a little longer, then sighed, and continued. "Can I confess that I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time, and I'm winging it?"

"I think the whole world knows that, Slick."

"What I'm trying to say is, I don't know what I want, and I'm hoping you'll tell me. If this is the time for promises, here's mine: I promise that I won't ever leave you, unless you ask me to. I'm yours from now until you're tired of me."

Judy looked up at him, and gently elbowed his chest. "That sounds dangerously close to asking me to be your mate. You promised. I'm not getting tied down tonight, and if you ask tonight, I will absolutely refuse out of pure stubbornness."

"It's really not what I'm trying to say, but I'm struggling with words here, Fluff. I guess it's more that you shouldn't ever feel like I have expectations or hopes for something to change. This is it. This is what I want. Anything else is just icing. We can stay exactly how we are for the rest of our lives, and I would be fine with that. How about this as a more clear promise: I will never demand more of you than you're willing to give, and so I'll never push you to set one paw in a love burrow again, unless it was your idea first. That better?"

"Remarkably better," she answered, pulling his arm around her. "I accept your promise."

"You got any of your own?"

Judy froze, not really sure how to answer at first. This was why she had not wanted to set one paw in the traditional love burrow. She had her own secrets, and being put on the spot might make her slip up. "Not today, no. Got my fox back, he's not with Skye, I'm not with Harry, the crazy bear is in prison forever, your mom's healthy and happy, and my family doesn't want to kill you yet. No wishes or promises I want to make or demand today. I'm a pretty happy bunny right now."

"That's it?" he asked, and she could feel him shift to look down at her. "I'm giving you a wide open door to either promise anything you want, or ask them of me. You're really not going to take it?"

"Nope. The whole love burrow thing is about being reckless and doing things, whether family approves or not. I've got recklessness out of my system after jumping off a plane without a parachute. I'm not usually impulsive, and I really didn't want you to even know about this place, let alone end up down here. Why, were you hoping or expecting me to make some kind of promise?"

"You could start with not jumping out of planes after bad guys anymore."

Judy laughed and playfully bit his arm. "No. Not making that promise. The ZPD's way too unpredictable to be held down by a promise like that. How about I promise to keep your life interesting, as long as you keep me around?"

"Are you promising that? I'm a fox, I can tell when someone's playing with words, and that didn't sound like a promise at all. Sounded more like a suggestion of a promise."

"Fine," she muttered, rolling over onto her knees and taking his paw in hers. "I'll try again. So long as we're together, I promise to make life interesting. I promise not to do anything else to make you wonder about how I feel—and I'm admitting that stunt in the south was overly stupid and insecure on my part. I also promise that I know what I'm getting into, and accept all the hardships I'm accepting by dating outside my species. That better?"

Nick stared at her with more than a touch of surprise for some time, until she began to worry she had gone too far. At last, he pulled her back into a hug and rubbed his chin on the top of her head affectionately. "That's more than I'd bargained for. I was hoping for something like a promise to clean up after supper once in a while. This is much better."

Judy accepted the hug a little while longer, then flicked her head to swat him with one of her ears. "We should get back to the party. I've got a few hundred bunnies to introduce you to, and we should save your mother from them, before she disowns you."

"She put up with Finnick and I growing up. It'll take more than a few hundred bunnies to rattle that vixen. You're right, though. Stay down here with me too long, and you'll end up breaking other promises. All this charm in one place can't be contained forever, without a bunny losing control of herself."

Judy rolled her eyes and sighed. This was her fox, his silliness and all. There was a time and place to ignore him, but sometimes it was time to call his bluff and torment him. This was the latter.

Wriggling free of his hug, Judy climbed up onto his lap, straddling him and looking him in the eyes as he froze. She very carefully set to nipping at his neck, as she pressed her hips against his, until she was absolutely sure she had his full attention. Then she sat back, put her paws on her hips, and announced, "Nope. Still have control over my senses. We should go. C'mon!"

Judy hopped to her hind paws and offered one forepaw to Nick to help him up, but he shook his head and stayed where he was. After a moment, he folded his paws over his lap.

"Gimme a minute here, Fluff," he insisted, then cleared his throat. "Not walking around in public for a minute after you did that. Don't suppose they have buckets of ice water down here?"

"Definitely not," she answered, giving him a sly grin of victory. "I hadn't even heard of cold showers for that until I got to the city. You're the one who claims he can keep others from knowing anyone got to him. Don't let me get to you!"

Nick scowled at her and adjusted his pants. "You're evil. You know that, right?"

"You consider that evil?" she inquired, slowly dropping to paws and knees. "I can get a lot worse."

The glimmer of hope in Nick's eyes let her know he was going to go along with anything at this point. "I…uh…don't believe you. You'd have to show me."

 _And calling my bluff, as expected_. Sighing, Judy flopped onto her stomach on the floor of the den, resting her chin in his crossed legs, ears splayed over either leg. If she guessed right, she was probably exhaling warm breath right at his crotch. "Nope. Can't do it. I made a rule for today and I'm sticking by it. No funny business. Think you can walk yet?"

"You're going to make me cry, Carrots. No, not walking for a while now. Thanks. Thanks so much for that. Is there a back door to this place, so I can get outside in the snow and cool off?"

"You really have a one-track mind, don't you?" she asked, in preparation to continue the torment. After all the times he got her worked up before they had to head to the office, this was only fair. "First you're encouraging me to break a promise, now you're asking for back door for the first time. Whatever am I going to do with you?"

Nick's whimper let her know she had probably gone too far that time. "I am trying very hard to behave, on your request, Fluff. Also, because your father hides weapons around the burrow. Can we not torture the poor fox? I'm fine waiting a couple days, or as long as you need, but let's not make it more difficult than necessary."

"You're right, and I'm sorry," she assured him, then got up and kissed him. "I went too far. Let's go back when you're ready. Teasing's fun, but I didn't mean to really upset you."

Nick took an extra minute, before he gave his okay, and they both got up and slowly made their way back through the tunnel. Along the way, Judy found herself pensive, remembering how she had so vehemently avoided festivals like this entirely over the years, and now her only concern was whether she was rushing Nick. It was quite the change in little more than a year and a half. What was more, she saw a similar deep contemplation on Nick's face, judging by his furrowed brows.

Deciding to let him have his space by giving him some time without talking after pushing too hard before, she held his paw as they emerged from the burrow into the warehouse, where the air was far warmer. She got a few steps inside the building before a group of bunnies stood in their way. Initially, Judy tried to steer around the group, but realized quickly that they were actively trying to block her, when they kept shifting into her path. Not even blocking Nick…her specifically. Instinctively, Judy felt her whole body tense, out of fear that she was going to have to fight for her life, no matter how absurd that sounded.

"Really? Him?" asked one doe, while bucks on either side of her glared at Judy. No one looked to Nick, as though unwilling to confront him over whatever was bothering them. "Are we going to have to post signs or something?"

Judy stopped where she was, and had to take a second to grasp what the group wanted. When she did realize, her ears shot straight up, and her fear of being attacked faded quickly. "Are you saying I can't be with a fox?"

"Bunnies around here stick to their own, or maybe Hoppses don't teach their kits that," a buck added, from Judy's left. "Not that she has to worry anymore. No buck would touch her after being with…that. Who knows what she's a carrier for."

Judy released Nick's paw and clenched both of hers into fists. "Nick, would you be so kind as to grab drinks and head back to the table?"

"Judy, let's go," he replied, a bit of fear in his tone.

"No. I'm done with this nonsense," she told him, without looking up. "I'll be over in a minute. Go."

"I… Yeah, sure," he answered, giving the group a cautious once-over look. "You sure?"

"Very. I'll be there in a second. I can handle this by myself. I wouldn't want you having to lower yourself to this level."

Nick smiled nervously, but did as she asked and hurried away, headed for the bar.

Once he was gone, Judy returned her attention to the seven bunnies—two of whom appeared to be ringleaders. She did not know most of the group, so she focused on the one bunny she did, who had been the first to speak up. "Spit it out, Betty. What's the Broadear family got against us, or is it just me?"

Betty Broadear snorted and crossed her arms. "We didn't get to be the second biggest family in the burrows by sleeping with… _those_. C'mon, Judy, even you can do better than that. Geoff is right, though, you just got seen by half the burrow sneaking off with him. No one's going to wanna touch you now. Have some self-respect. Think of your family and your parents."

"I don't want anyone else touching me, thanks," she snapped back, while studying the group. They were more than ready to fight her, which did not bode well. Training or not, she was outnumbered pretty badly. Still, she had handled months of Rolen trying to find and kill her without too much damage. Seven farm bunnies were not a huge threat. "Some of us have enough self-respect to be able to pick the right animal to be with, even if it's not popular."

Betty opened her mouth to say something else scathing, but before she got the words out, a steaming pie came down on top of her head, coating her very expensive outfit with apple pie. She shrieked, drawing the attention of half the warehouse, as she wiped at the long stains. From across the room, Judy could see Nick stand up straight at the scream, looking toward them.

"Oh, hi there, didn't see you," Gideon told Betty, offering a sheepish grin as he rebalanced the remaining pies he was holding over her. "You all but ran into my leg. Sorry, sorry. Don't wanna spill the rest of these on your friends. Go…um…clean up?"

Betty muttered something about "idiot foxes" under her breath, before taking the group and hurrying off. Once they were gone, Gideon turned to Judy and gave her a big smile.

"You didn't need to do that," she assured him. "I had it under control."

"Oh, definitely, yeah," he answered, then nodded toward the running bunnies. "Was worried about them. I remember how hard you kicked as a kit. Didn't wanna be helping carry them outta here. Better to have them be mad at me for a few days, then to have anyone get hurt, you know? Besides, I heard what they said. Awful stuff. Don't you let them get to you. Whatever you done, or intend to do, don't let them decide for you. You kinda taught me that."

"Thanks, Gid," she told him, any fight left in her fading away. Going to him, she rose up on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Glad to see someone here isn't ignorant."

"Oh, hey, nobody ever claimed I wasn't, so let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said, laughing. When a pie almost slipped off his arm, he shuffled them again. "I gotta get these to the tables. You take care, okay?"

Judy thanked him again, then headed toward their tables. When she arrived, Nick was already on his paws waiting, clearly worried about what had happened, but Judy's attention went to Marian.

Seated near Stu and Bonnie, Marian had a large glass of wine in her paw, and at least two dozen roses stacked up on the table in front of her. She stared at them in horror, while Bonnie kept rearranging them, and Stu looked as though he were offering some kind of advice. Several of Judy's granduncles, grandaunts, and her grandmother were milling about, either giving Marian suggestions, or telling her stories about flowers.

"What's going on?" Judy asked, slowly sitting down alongside Nick. "Even bunnies don't multiply as fast as those roses have."

Nick glowered at Judy a moment, then answered. "Don't change the subject. What happened with the lynch mob?"

"Gideon kept me from having to hurt anyone," Judy answered softly, feeling guilty all over again.

"This was about me, wasn't it?"

"It was about me making my own decisions and someone not approving. Now…the flowers?"

Nick shrugged. "I wish I knew. Twenty-six bunnies so far were paid to deliver a single rose to her from an admirer. I have my guesses, but she's not talking about it. She completely stopped talking when the last batch arrived. Funny part is, not one of the bunnies knew who hired them. They all got hired by someone who was hired to hire them. This is crazy-complicated. Your mother is obsessed with the arrangement. Your father is giving mom courting advice."

Judy could not help but laugh when Marian tried to subtly slide the pile of flowers away with her cane, only to have Bonnie jump up from her chair, run over, and begin rearranging them again.

"And what's your guess?" Judy asked Nick, once Marian gave up fighting and put her face in her paw.

Reaching across the table, Nick plucked one rose from the pile—to Bonnie's dismay and chiding—and held it up in front of Judy's face. "This time of year, what color are most roses in the florists' shops?"

"Pale red, darkening to black as they wilt," she answered, eyeing the rose. The petals were a deep blood-red. "Those aren't local roses. They're imported from somewhere. I'm not even sure the strain."

Nick smiled as he held his other arm up to the rose. It was darker and far deeper red than his almost-orange fur. "That shade of red. What would you call it?"

"Crimson," Judy answered, before covering her mouth with her paws. She looked between Nick and the rose a few times, before lowering her paws slightly. "He wouldn't, would he? How would he even know we're here?"

Nick snorted, and tossed the flower back onto the pile, as another bunny came over to Marian, offering her a package. "You do realize he runs the ZBI now?"

"Do you think this will get her to forgive him?" she asked, trying to ignore yet another bunny handing Marian a package. Far harder to ignore were Marian's tears as she stared at the growing pile in front of her. "She looks more upset than happy."

"Shaken," he corrected. "She's flustered. Flattered, but confused about what to do. I'm willing to bet dad did something like this when they were dating, judging by how she's eyeing those flowers."

Judy slid her arm through his, and leaned against him. "That's really sweet of him, even if she doesn't forgive him. By the way, did you notice you started calling him 'dad' regularly?"

"Even I slip sometimes, Fluff. Don't think I've forgiven him yet."

"I know. I'm not thinking this is ever going to make up for it all. I just hope you all can someday be able to talk civilly, and put the pain behind you."

Nick smiled as Marian picked up one of the roses and stared at it sadly. "We're on our way. Ask me about it again, once we get a wheelbarrow to lug all of these flowers out of here. I don't even know what to do with so many."

"You're attending a feast with bunnies tomorrow," she reminded him. "You don't need to worry about getting them all home, if she doesn't want to. Leave extras on the snacks table, and they'll go away."

Nick laughed and kissed her cheek, as another wave of deliveries came over to Marian.


	27. Chapter 10-5

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.5 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **November 30** **th** **, Saturday – Hopps Burrow, Bunnyburrow**

"You sure about this, honey?" Bonnie asked, wringing her paws nervously. "I'm really bad at hiding things, especially something like this. Your father will have a heart attack, if this gets revealed without warning him. I'm just…I'm not comfortable with this. We both hate surprises. That's a very…tall…surprise."

"It's not that big of a deal, mom," Judy insisted, dismissing the worries. "We've got the room, and you don't have to lie. Just…don't mention it. I'll signal you when it's time. I didn't have a lot of chance to warn you, because it was a bit spur of the moment. Think of it as something similar to what Lisa did."

Bonnie whimpered, and looked back into the entryway of the burrow. "Lisa had a party that almost burned down the burrow, but okay, honey. I'm letting you know I take no responsibility if I blurt it out. You haven't even told me _why_ we're doing this. I'd really like to know what's going on."

"That's fine, and you'll find out why at the same time dad does. Just do what you can to keep it a secret for now. If you need to justify it, we needed someone up here to intercept any more deliveries for Marian. They can handle that."

"Speaking of," Bonnie added, her ears perking as she mentally changed topics. She gave the visitors sitting in the entry lobby another confused glance, then focused on Judy. "There was another dozen on the table this morning when I woke up, right at the seat we'd planned on giving her for the dinner. I'm all for some suitor being over the top, but I'm not sure how I feel about them sneaking into the burrow in the middle of the night."

That actually rattled Judy a little more than she cared to admit, even knowing who was likely behind it. "It's probably one of the younger kits who got talked into helping. If you're worried, I can check the fire exits before dinner."

"Already did, and they're sealed. Front door locked and everything. I don't know how they got in, Judy. I also don't know if they got back out."

"It had to be one of the kits. Don't worry about it. Nick and I think we know who's doing it, and he should be harmless. Even if he was here, he won't hurt anyone."

"Should be? This isn't that bear you two locked up, is it?"

"No, mom, it's not Rolen. He's still in isolation at the prison, and will be until well after the youngest kits in the burrow are adults. It's…a friend. Someone Marian knew a long time ago, trying to make up for past mistakes. He's apparently _very_ sorry and wants her back."

Bonnie sighed and flicked her paws dismissively. "Your city animals are so strange. Give us country bunnies a simple and straightforward invitation any day. All this pomp and circumstance to woo someone seems like too much work. Why he can't knock on her door and ask to stay over like a proper suitor, I'll never understand. Maybe a few slipped notes, if he's shy."

"It's part of the game there," Judy explained, smiling at her mother's outspoken need for everything to be mundane and expected. "I like it, personally. You never know what's going to happen."

"Oh, that might be fine for an adventurous bunny like yourself, but most of us really only want boring and routine," Bonnie insisted, then set to smoothing Judy's dress's wrinkles. "They don't have irons in the city? You're a mess, Judy."

Judy tried to push her mother's paws away, but Bonnie was being stubborn. "They do, mom. We do. It was fine when I packed it. Two days in a suitcase wrinkles things. It's fine."

"It's not fine, it's wrinkley," her mother fussed. "You should change into something more seasonal. I know the burrow's really warm, but that summer dress seems out of place. Isn't that the same one you wore this summer when you visited?"

"Yes, it is," she answered, having hoped her mother would not put together that it was the same dress she had worn for the first time she had gone for a walk with Nick, and very nearly gotten him to start dating her that night. There was a significance in everything she did this particular day. "I like the way it looks. I didn't feel like wearing jeans today."

Bonnie stopped with her paws on Judy's midsection. "You're trembling. Is there something you aren't telling me? What's got you rattled?"

"We really should start preparing the table, shouldn't we?"

The obvious attempt at distraction failed hard with her mother, who sighed and seemed to begrudgingly move on. She let one paw drop, while keeping the other on Judy's stomach. "Your sisters told me about the scar, but I can feel it through your dress. I worry about you, honey bun. The ZPD is dangerous. You've only been an officer a little more than a year—"

"Year and a half, mom."

"—and you've been shot, clawed, and whatever happened to your stomach and forearms. Plus, what's the story with the thin fur on your neck?"

Judy put a paw to her neck, covering the collar-marks. "New uniforms are too tight. Nothing to worry about. Just a little fur-burn, and it's fading already. The job is not as dangerous as you think."

"Judy," her mother said more firmly, putting both paws on her own hips. "You've been shot and declared dead. That alone is grounds for worry, and your father and I were worried long before that. You need to take care of yourself, because you don't have a whole burrow looking out for you now."

Knowing it was an argument she would never win, Judy decided to go for accepting that her mother was not wrong. She put her paws on her mother's shoulders and softly replied, "Mom, listen, I can and do take care of myself, and I've got Nick watching my back. I'm as safe as any officer can be."

"I'm glad he's looking out for you, but I worry about you both. Keep him around. I want you two safe, and if all you'll give me as reassurance is that you watch out for each other, I'll have to take that."

"That's kind of the idea, mom. I'm not getting rid of him anytime soon."

Bonnie peeked back at the lobby and shook her head. "Get downstairs. I'll deal with…this. Your father is definitely going to have that heart attack if you keep this up. No more surprises, please?"

"It's just for the holiday, I swear. And you know I can't make that promise," Judy told her, before setting off down the long hall into the depths of the burrow.

She had barely passed the first turn in the hall, before Judy could not help herself. She skipped happily through the dimly-lit tunnels, making her way quickly toward the kitchens and dining hall. There, she knew a few hundred family members—and friends and prospective family—were already setting up the tables. Nick and his mother were down there helping, along with Finnick, if they had managed to locate him.

By the time she reached the main dining hall of the burrow, the sheer number of animals helping had swelled to almost a hundred, out of the likely six hundred attending the dinner. There were probably another hundred in the kitchens nearing the end of preparations, assuming a food fight had not broken out, as had happened a few times in recent years. Festivals that encouraged heavy drinking, followed by more formal family affairs, had a bad habit of getting overly silly, at least in the Hopps family.

The muffled sound of the workers carried easily to Judy outside the dining hall, even with the way the carefully-designed ceilings in the larger rooms of the burrow minimized echoes. They were hard at work, and the clatter of plates let her know things were almost ready. A quick glance at a nearby clock showed it was almost six in the evening, which was when the family would officially begin gathering. Dinner would be informal, with courses throughout the rest of the evening, and everyone moving around to chat. Before the first batch of food came out, any announcements would be given, which was precisely what she was terrified of attending. Her paws began shaking merely thinking about sitting through this particular dinner. If anyone had a problem with Nick's family being there, that would be when she would hear about it.

 _You can do this, Judy_ , she assured herself, straightening her back and shoulders. _First family dinner with your boyfriend's family in attendance—gosh, first family dinner with a boyfriend, period. Nothing weird about that. You can get through anything. So long as Finnick keeps his mouth shut, the family's already pretty accepting of Nick, and they adore Marian. You're freaking out for no reason. Well, you have a reason, but stop it!_

Judy stepped fully into the dining hall, and began surveying the managed chaos. Bunnies were everywhere, carrying silverware, plates, and even the first rounds of appetizer flower and vegetable arrangements to the more distant tables. Glasses were being filled with water or wine, and huge baskets of bread—mostly from Gideon's bakery—were hurriedly being placed every few spots.

The U-shaped hall itself was long enough to fit more than a hundred bunnies on each side of the long tables, with another room adjacent for the hundred or so very young kits, to let them be mischievous and loud, without interrupting the older family members. Acoustically-designed variations in the ceiling of the main room, as well as the stone divider between the ends of the U kept most sound to a minimum, while carrying the voice of whoever was at the head of the table. In recent years, her parents had taken a role at the head as her grandmother and granduncles and aunts worked hard to downplay their own responsibility. Beyond who would be seated at the head, everyone else took spots more or less at random to be near those they most wanted to converse with, though seating changed rapidly.

Far down the right side of the tables, Nick was being put to work by her relatives. He could carry far more than they could, and was being used for that purpose to get plates out much faster. His longer reach probably also helped considerably on the large tables.

Marian was off to one side with some of Judy's great-aunts and uncles, talking quietly. Occasional gestures from them hinted they were working out arrangements for seating or where to put dishes throughout the long meal. At Judy's entry to the room, Marian looked her way and smiled, before going back to her conversation.

The one mammal Judy hoped to see so she knew he was not up to something, was still missing. She had seen Finnick less than three hours over the last two days, and that included the time period where she tried not to see him both mornings—in the shower. His absence only made her worry that much more that he was conspiring to bring her entire family line to ruin.

For the next hour, Judy never managed to get anywhere near Nick, as they both were swept in opposite directions almost constantly during preparations. Given how on-edge her nerves were, that was probably for the best. Once preparations were finished, the arrival of the other guests and residents flooded the room with mammals in such a wave that conversation was impossible beyond random hellos, until long after everyone had taken their seats, or whatever seat was nearby. That, finally, placed Judy alongside Nick and Marian, only twenty of her siblings away from her parents. Finnick did not join the three of them, but instead appeared a little later with Judy's cousins on his arms again, and took a seat a good thirty places down from them—far enough that Judy did not have to hear him, but close enough to constantly see him and be concerned.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Nick leaned in to whisper, giving a nod toward Finnick. "This many eligible does in one place, it was bound to happen. I didn't catch names, but who are these ones?"

"Selene and Stacy Hopps," Judy mumbled, trying hard to ignore Finnick, as he nuzzled Selene. "They're among the shortest of my cousins, so they probably see him as the first fox they can see eye-to-eye with. I suppose I should be happy it's been the same two all weekend. Could have been a lot worse."

Nick's ears perked, and he rapidly looked between Judy and Finnick. "Same two? Those are the ones from the shower yesterday?"

"Yup."

"And this morning?"

"Yup. Those two are sisters from the same litter. They're really into sharing, so I shouldn't be surprised. I'd be more shocked if he was with one, but not the other, because that'd lead to fights between them."

"Oh, chickens on Sunday, that's not normal for him at all," Nick muttered, now fully staring at Finnick.

"Seems pretty normal for him to sleep with my cousins. I'm actually happy he's not trying to flirt with mom."

"Not that. That part, I agree completely," Nick told her, then remained silent a moment, as a large salad was placed in front of him. "I did not think through the food choices here. Anyway, what I meant was that he has this whole ego trip about never sleeping with the same female twice. Ever. Could call it a personality quirk, or maybe a personal perversion, I don't know. If you're saying he's been with those two for two days…I don't know what's going on. Besides, he's never been into bunnies. It's always been coyotes."

"Maybe he's growing as an adult," Judy began, trying to be upbeat, but her shoulders sank as she became convinced there was something going on under the table between Finnick and the two does. "Never mind, I just don't want to know. How did you turn out normal?"

"He's far from normal," Marian butted in, with a bit of seasoned spinach on her fork, which she was eyeing cautiously. "Once you're past the phase where it's all new and exciting you'll recognize how strange he is."

A loud clinking from the head of the room snapped Judy's attention to where her parents sat. The announcements were about to start, and her stomach filled with butterflies. She could barely make herself blink out of fear of what was to come. She had only decided to do this the day prior, and the fight with her own nerves was all too real.

The first two announcements were from relatives she barely knew by name, who were talking about community changes coming in the next year, including a new crop-trade agreement with Podunk during their rebuilding. These were things she would have listened carefully to any other year, but now struggled to feel were deeply meaningful to her. The city occupied her life, and the farm was no longer the center of her world. All she could think about was what she had to do soon. Then, the moment came.

"Who else has something they need to announce for the family to hear or witness?" Bonnie asked, with Stu at her side, looking about for paws being raised. This was normally where family would announce births, deaths, and other events that might have gone unnoticed otherwise. It was also a good time to announce any surprise guests or events.

Her paw shaking badly, Judy lifted her arm. The fact that she was usually so quiet even among her family had apparently not gone unnoticed, as dozens of heads turned to stare at her. To her surprise, Nick also had his paw partway up, though his ears were back as he realized she was trying to get attention, too.

"Which of you two wants to go first?" Stu asked, brows furrowing as he looked between them. "Don't have all day."

"Let me," Nick asked softly, as he set aside his napkin.

"It's her family and house," said Marian, putting a paw on Nick's shoulder to keep him seated. "You go after. Unlike you, I asked how these things work. Blood family goes first, then distant relations, and then anyone else, unless specifically asked."

Nick nodded and cleared his throat. "Judy can go first. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to be rude."

"Nothing to apologize for," Stu insisted, laughing along with many others. "We aren't that formal here. Jude, go ahead."

Judy stood slowly, and met her mother's eyes. Without having to say anything, her mother picked up the message and hurried out of the room. "One moment. I need to wait for mom to get back."

Waiting nervously as she waited, Judy had to fight to keep from fidgeting with a few hundred relatives staring at her. Once he was certain her mother would be back soon, she got down from her chair and made her way up to her father, taking a spot at the head of the room, where her voice would easily carry to all parts of the hall. To ensure she could be seen, she climbed up onto his chair.

"Hey, everyone," she said, waving timidly at the assembled crowds. Most were patiently watching her, though some were clearly impatient and wishing she would finish up already. The faint crunching of carrots hinted a few bunnies had already given up waiting. "I think all of you know that I'm a bit untraditional in this family, and won't do much of anything the way I'm expected to. That's not going to change today. I could have done this differently, and it probably would have made a lot of Hoppses happier if I had, but I wanted to do right by everyone, and this is as close as I could get."

The confusion across the room was no real surprise, but seeing it in Nick's stare almost broke her resolve. She had to get through the speech, or she might never be able to try again. Thankfully, she had stalled long enough, and her mother re-entered the hall behind her. Judy paused as Bonnie led a very large crowd—large by size, rather than numbers—to the open space on the inner side of the tables' curve, not far from where Nick and Marian sat, drawing far more attention than her speech had so far.

Chief Bogo led the way, and took the back-most spot in the open area, clasping his hooves behind his back as he stood at attention, his horns brushing the ceiling. Next into the room was Benjamin Clawhauser and his partner, Nimr, drawing a lot of worried stares from the bunnies, as they were the first predators to arrive, other than Nick and his brother and mother. The rest of the guests came in a tight line, with Wolford, Carl Cannus and Cyndi, Felix Spetz, Stan Delgato, and lastly, Skye and Harry walking side-by-side and paw-in-paw. The group gathered together, all facing Judy. Deep down, she was a little saddened that Katrina and Markus could not make it, but with the final signing of the peace treaty with Zootopia happening the same day—largely meant to be symbolic, by having it done on a major prey holiday—there was little chance of them getting to the burrow in time, especially on such short notice.

A quick glance at Nick and Marian let Judy know they were deeply confused, and Nick looked nearly ready to hop up and run to the group to talk to his friends, some of whom he had not seen in a week or two. Wolford, in particular, had been gone long enough from the ZPD that Nick appeared outright giddy as he watched the larger wolf settle in with the others.

Judy took another deep breath, then forced herself to continue. "Here in the burrow, everything worth doing is done in public. Family should know about it, but the public awareness matters more. In the city, it's friends and family, above the public. Balancing these interests is not easy, but this is as close as I can get. Two families, and their assembled friends. All the witnesses any tradition could require."

Nick's confusion seemed to deepen, and he cocked his head slightly as he watched her. Marian, however, snapped to attention with her whiskers trembling, as though she had it figured out.

"No matter how this ends, I wanted to share it with all of those who matter most to me," Judy went on, climbing down from the chair and walking slowly toward the gap between tables which led to her seat. She crossed to the section where Nick and Marian waited, as every pair of eyes followed her. "Nick, you're my best friend in the whole world."

Nick swallowed hard, and glanced side-to-side, before locking his attention back on Judy. "You're mine, too, without question, Fluff. What're you doing?"

"I've never loved anyone like I love you," she added. "I can't imagine going on without you. I had to try to imagine it once, and I don't want to do that again. Nicholas Wilde…" The excited squeak from Marian let Judy know she knew what was coming, and Nick's jaw-drop likely hinted he did, too. Slowly, Judy took a knee in front of Nick, picked up his paw from his knee, and pressed the back to her cheek. "…will you marry me?"

The room went more silent than Judy believed possible.

"I…I…" Nick stammered, and Judy began to feel her whole body go chill, and her ears slowly dropped. "This is not fair, Judy. You set all this up to…to propose?"

Judy's ears fell flat to her back, and she looked over at her parents, who appeared to be torn between fear and confusion—they probably could not even hear Nick, he had been so quiet. "Yes. Sort of. I couldn't think of a better time. What do you mean it's not fair? Are you saying you don't… Is that a no?"

Nick wiped at his eyes with his free paw, and she realized he was tearing up. "It's not a no, you silly bunny. This isn't fair because what I wanted to announce that I asked for your parents' blessing on asking you to marry me this morning. How do you always win at everything?"

Judy laughed and checked her parents, verifying they had heard. Judging by their hugging and bouncing up and down, they absolutely had, and must not have given Nick much objection. Her father might not have been thrilled at her dating a fox, but the idea of her getting married apparently overrode that. "They don't really get a say. That's not how it works here in the burrow, but it's nice of you to check with them. But still…are you sure, Nick? We could just do a trial run with the whole mates thing, and... I mean… I don't want to rush you."

From behind her, Judy heard a deep overbearing voice shout, "Just kiss the dumb fox already! He said yes! Don't let him get out of it!"

Judy stayed as still as she could, despite the hundreds of bunnies—as well as her city friends—watching them. When Nick eased himself off the chair and knelt in front of her, she had no idea what to expect.

Nick kissed her forehead and raised his voice to say, "Judith Hopps, I would be honored and possibly the happiest mammal in the world to marry you. So no one on my side can claim this wasn't traditional…will you also agree to marry me?"

Judy could not help but snort as she tried to keep from bursting out laughing. "Yes, I'll marry you, too. Assuming your mother doesn't object…"

Beside Nick, Marian's over-excited expression rapidly faded to confusion. "Are you seriously asking for my permission, Judy?"

"Sort of, yes?" Judy said nervously. "I'm not sure if you approve…"

"Oh, stop that, dear," Marian told her. "Of course I approve. Don't be daft. What fool mother wouldn't want you in the family? If you two didn't work out, I was considering trading up to you from my boys."

"Then…" Judy trailed off, finally looking Nick in the eyes. "…is this happening? Are we really getting married? I really don't know what to do or say now. Maybe we need to talk about when, but I just don't know."

"Neither do I, Fluff," Nick assured her, leaning close to press the side of his muzzle against hers. "We'll figure it out together. Today, tomorrow, a year from now…I don't care. I'm ready whenever. How does it work with your family? I mean, I'd be willing to marry right now…"

"Nick, shhh!" Judy's skin went cold. "We might want to talk about that…"

"You heard that, everyone?" shouted Bonnie, her voice echoing through the dining hall. "These two are willing to get married right now! Set aside some food for them, and let's see them off!"

Nick went rigid against her, frozen as a few dozen bunnies got off their chairs and surrounded them. "Fluff…what the heck is happening? Did I just do something dumb?"

"You just said you'd be willing to marry today," she replied, barely hearing herself over the noise of her family. "You said that where my family could hear it. It's basically a done deal. They're going to insist on us…um…we need to…uh…they're going to stick around outside and make sure we…work out."

Putting both paws on her shoulders, Nick leaned back to stare at her. The distance allowed her to see that her brothers and sisters had surrounded them, ready to usher them out of the room. Normally, the family members would simply pick up and carry off the couple, but no one seemed willing to try and carry Nick.

Nick squinted down at her and asked, "Are you telling me that's the whole wedding ceremony?"

"Ceremony?" Judy asked, a little unsure what he was hinting at. "That's pretty much it. You agreed. I agreed. What more is there to it? Is it more complicated for foxes? I have over three hundred siblings…anything longer than this would chew up half a lifetime for parents."

Nick's concerned glances at the bunnies around them let her know foxes definitely did something more than simply agree to be married—which made some sense, as they probably did not have nearly a hundred weddings a year per family. Before her family members could step in and begin pushing them to finalize the marriage, Marian forced her way back to their sides using her cane, and bent down to be more easily heard by them both.

"I did not expect to be seeing this," she admitted, as she pulled something from her small purse. "Skye asked me to hold something until you two got married. I believed she would have more chance of seeing it than I did. This is her gift to you two. I don't know what it is, but she was almost in tears when she handed it to me, so it must be important. Probably should have had her give it to you, since she's here, but she'd have to trample a few bunnies to reach you."

Judy turned her attention to Marian and the gift, wrapped in simple white paper. She held it out to Nick and he took it from her paw, but did not have a chance to open it before the bunnies closed in on them. Dozens of paws grabbed at Judy, shoving her against Nick. They were pulled to their hind paws and rushed from the dining hall, and down the tunnels of the burrow back to Judy's old room. When they finally arrived, the crowds of family members parted and shoved them both into the room. The door slammed shut behind them, transitioning them from the noise of the family to the near-silence of the bedroom, staring at each other, mostly in shock from the whirlwind they had just endured.

"Okay, so I thought we were having a nice dinner," Nick mumbled, looking around as though he had not spent the last day staying with her in the room. "I don't think I've ever been quite this unsure of myself, or what I should do."

Judy felt much the same, and found herself glancing back at the door, as though her family might barge in at any moment—possibly with a fox taser. "I do know what we should do…and what we kind of need to. This is pretty awkward for me, too. I never was good with the idea of an audience."

"Audience?" he asked, leaning to stare at the door. "Are they…right outside?"

Judy closed her eyes and nodded with a sigh. Looking to Nick, she gave him her most pitying stare. "Sorry, Nick. I really hoped to give you more warning."

Slowly, Nick made his way over to the bed and sat down. "How exactly does this tradition work?"

"Well," she began, and sat down beside him. After a second, she scooted closer to him and looked up at Nick, before continuing. "Usually when two mammals like each other—a lot—they like to cuddle together. Let me tell you about the birds and the bees…"

"Oh, we're having that talk, huh?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "I think I understand. I'm not sure I can…you know…with an audience."

Shifting up onto her knees on the bed, Judy kissed Nick tenderly, until she felt the tension go out of his body. As soon as he relaxed, she began unbuttoning his shirt, then leaned close to his ear to whisper, "There's no one but me here. We've got all night."

Nick ran his fingers through the fur on the side of her head and chuckled as he tossed the gift from Skye toward the dresser. "I'm still just trying to get my mind around being Mister… Actually, what are we going by, now?"

Judy blinked, as she thought through it herself. "Mister and Missus Hopps-Wilde?"

"Wilde-Hopps has a nice ring to it," he countered, grinning. "Maybe just this once, I can get top billing?"

"Fine," Judy muttered, with a bit of mock-annoyance.

Before they could banter further, Nick swept her over backward into the blankets, and Judy entirely forgot about her relatives outside.


	28. Chapter 10-6

Winter of the Bear, Chapter 10.6 – Zootopia for the Holidays

 **December 7** **th** **, Saturday – Savanna Central**

Nick woke as the sun rose, casting the room in warm light through the curtains. As had become her habit that week, Judy lay behind him with her arms around his neck and shoulder, with one of his ears in her mouth. Her turning the tables and nibbling on his ear a few nights earlier had begun as a joke, but led to some surprises as to things he really enjoyed. Now, she seemed unwilling to not bite his ear at least once during the night. The downside if she fell asleep while doing it was what he woke up to: Soggy ears.

The hurried "wedding" had blindsided him the previous weekend, and that had flowed straight into the week's work schedule, leaving him almost no time to let it really sink in. The last evening they had managed to stay awake long enough to chat after work, they had discussed the possibility of having a more formal "fox-style" wedding in the future, possibly at their first year anniversary.

Rolling onto the edge of the bed, Nick was more than a little surprised when Judy did not immediately wake, though she did paw at his side of the bed and grumble before burying her face in the pillows again. He smiled and got up, pulling on a shirt before heading for the door. He intended to sneak downstairs and start some coffee, but stopped as he passed their mirrored dresser. There, Skye's gift lay unopened, after he had found it on their way out of Bunnyburrow. Though he had seen Skye several times during the week, she had yet to mention it. He picked it up and slid it into the pocket of his shirt, with the intention of opening it when he got settled in for the morning. Likely, it was a nice note or some such, which did not require Judy at his side when he opened it.

Nick took his time strolling across the second floor balcony toward the stairs. If he had heard correctly when they came home from the precinct the previous evening, Skye had Harry over, so she would likely not be awake right away, giving him some time to be alone. His mother might be awake, giving them a good chance to catch up on things. As he walked, he paused to watch the sheets of snow falling outside the giant window that lit the kitchen below, providing another reason he was thankful for the day off.

Slowly, Nick padded down the stairs, only to find his mother's room still closed. She normally woke before he did, but he was happy she was able to sleep better since the vaccine had started her recovery. He walked past her room and around to the kitchen, where he flicked on the coffee maker, and then took a seat at the smaller table in that room. The lengthy dining table one room over still intimidated him more than he cared to admit, and one fox sitting at a table for thirty definitely felt awkward.

Nick sat down and watched the snowfall a little longer, while the coffee brewed, slowly filling the kitchen with its scent. Almost as an afterthought, he pulled the gift from his pocket and looked it over.

The thick envelope was plain, other than a wide red ribbon tied around it. A few passes of his paws over the envelope itself let him know it was something more than a card, though it felt more like a stack of paper. Not money, either. Had it been delivered by a stranger, Nick would have guessed it contained a summons or similar legal paperwork, but from Skye, he had no idea what to expect. Shrugging, he tossed it onto the table, unopened.

Once Nick had his coffee in-paw, he sat back down and put his hind paws up on the next chair, so he could more casually watch the snow. It did not take long before his attention drifted back to the envelope.

"Can't be anything too important, or she'd have insisted on us opening it," he assured himself, holding it up in front of his face. "Not even sealed, other than the ribbon. Eh, Judy won't be too mad if I take a look."

Nick slid the ribbon off of the envelope and set it on the table. Pulling open the flap, he found a folded stack of weathered paper inside. He removed those, as his mother came into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes.

"G'morning," Nick told her, setting the papers down on the table. "Up early, or did you smell the coffee?"

Marian let out a faint grumbly huff, and went straight to the coffee pot, answering his question. She filled a mug and came over to sit across from him. "Good morning, Nicky. You're finally getting around to opening that gift from Skye, I see."

"Yeah, but haven't looked it over yet. Any grand plans for today?"

Marian shook her head and sipped the coffee. Once she had swallowed a bit—perking her up almost immediately—she sat back and shrugged. "I wanted to take Finnick up on his offer of lunch with his girlfriends."

Nick laughed, in spite of himself. "We don't call anyone Finnick goes out with 'girlfriends' if we can help it. He doesn't like the implication that there's something more than a tail-call."

"Oh, you aren't paying enough attention," Marian chided, wiggling her eyebrows. "Your brother's date with the scruffy coyote Wednesday came to a very early end…at his choice. He's going out with Judy's cousins again this weekend. I don't think it's too serious, but he seems to genuinely enjoy their company. I believe they're staying at his place this weekend."

"Creepy," he admitted, rolling his eyes. "Next thing you know, he'll be stealing my porn stash."

Nick never saw his mother bring up the cane, but it smacked his paw hard enough he yelped.

"Stop being crude, Nicky," she warned, as she put the cane back on the floor. "You're married. At least pretend like you stopped collecting bunny porn."

Rubbing his paw, Nick scowled at his mother. "I don't actually need to pretend. I did stop collecting it a while ago. I've got all the bunny I can handle, thank you very much. Possibly more than I can handle."

"Very likely more," Marian replied with a smirk.

"So why don't you want to go out with Finnick and the twins?" Nick asked, once he had feeling back in his fingers.

Marian sneered and shook her head. "My stalker found out where we live. The post office delivered a box of peanut butter toffees with a card last evening. I'm dreading another dozen roses following me to the restaurant."

"And what did the card say?"

Shrugging, Marian reached into her robe's pocket and pulled out a small card, which she placed on the table in front of Nick. "Help yourself. I haven't looked. Haven't wanted to, either."

"You do know who's sending all of this, right?" he asked, taking the card.

"Of course I do, Nicky. Our first date, he gave me a rose. Our second, he bought me peanut butter toffee at a local faire. He's not being subtle or overly secretive."

"And what'd he give you on your third date?"

Marian cleared her throat and looked around somewhat more nervously than Nick was used to seeing in her. "He…well…I'm reasonably certain our third date might have resulted in you. Maybe the fourth. I fell pretty hard for him."

"Wow, mom. And you gave me a hard time about my dating life. Good on you." Nick opened the card, and lost the mirth over his mother's unease as he saw the text inside.

 _I never gave up on you. My heart hopes you've not given up on me, either. The phone number below is my personal line. Feel free to tell me to leave you alone if you don't want me in your life, and I will never bother you again. Until I hear from you, I will never stop trying to make up for what I've done. –JW_

"Is this the first note he's left with the gifts?" Nick asked, looking up at his mother. She would not meet his gaze. "It isn't, is it?"

"No. There was one with every rose after the first dozen."

"Are you going to tell him to leave you alone?"

Marian winced and stared into her coffee. "I'm not ready to do that, yet."

"So you're going to let him keep this up, thinking he still has a chance?"

"I might," she replied. "He made me wait twenty-some years. Let's see if he's as stubborn as I am."

"Does he have a chance?"

Marian appeared to think hard on that before answering. "I want to say 'no', but that's a lie. I've always loved him, even if I hate him for what he did to our family. If you're wondering if we're getting back together, I'd say that we're not. I may humor him someday, and go out with him once or twice."

"Maybe three dates?" Nick asked, grinning.

"Don't be crude, Nicky. But then again…it has been twenty years…"

Nick blinked hard, and then realized his mother was smirking at him. She had played his joke against him to see how he would react. "Do you want my opinion?"

"I actually would for once."

Nick looked back at the note, then set it on the table in front of her. "Tell him the truth. Tell him you're not ready to forgive him yet, and might never be, but that you don't know what the future might bring. He lied to us all those years ago. Be the better fox and be honest with him. Let him decide if he can wait another twenty years, or if he wants to start healing and move on. Him continuing to try and be with you—or not—will tell you a lot about him."

Marian took the note from him and slid it into her robe's pocket. "You really did grow up fast, Nicky. Never thought I'd get advice—good advice, at that—from you. I may do exactly that. Thank you."

Nick opened his mouth to reply with something snarky, but the thought slipped away as he heard the front door click open. Confused and wondering if Finnick was coming in unannounced, or Harry was slinking out, he picked up the papers from Skye, got up, and hurried to the front hall. There, he found Skye pushing the door shut, her fur and coat covered with snow. She spotted him from the corner of her eye and froze.

"You're just…coming in?" Nick asked, genuinely confused. He looked back to the door, expecting Harry to follow her in, but there was no one outside. "I thought Harry was staying with you this weekend."

Skye sighed and took off her coat, shaking the remaining snow from her fur. Once she had hung up the coat near the door, she peeked up the stairs and down the hall to the kitchen. "He is. He's downstairs, probably still asleep."

Nick cocked his head, and ignored the faint sound of his mother coming up the hall behind him. "I'm so very confused, Skye. If he's here, and you were out…or shouldn't I ask? I thought you two were in some kind of relationship?"

"It's a little complicated," she admitted, hanging her head. "Harry and I are dating, but we have an arrangement."

"This is going to hurt my head, isn't it?"

"Probably. I think the best way I can put it is that we're platonic life mates. I love Harry and he loves me…but he doesn't love…um…"

"He's admitted he's the worst bunny ever, yes," Nick finished for her.

"Right," Skye went on, glancing up the stairs again. "Don't tell the others, because they won't understand, but you should probably know. He and I are dating, but we've got an arrangement where I can see others for…things that aren't…um…that he isn't as excited about."

Nick blinked hard. "You've got some kind of open relationship, where you and he don't…do things…but you can find someone else to…do things…with?"

"Precisely," she replied, looking incredibly relieved, and smiled happily. "You have no idea how good it is to share that with someone."

"And so last night you were…?"

Skye smiled awkwardly. "On a date. First date I've had in…by the bear, I don't think I've ever had a real date in my life! Harry and I didn't really go on dates, since we'd worked together so long. I've faked dating a few times for the agency, but I really think this was the first. It was nice. I can see why animals do that, besides the obvious physical reasons. He was this lovely grey fox…"

"Nope, nope, nope," Nick said quickly, putting up his paws. "No details. I am all for anyone doing what works for them, but I'm confused enough to say I don't want even the slightest details of my little sister's sex life."

"Step sister," Skye corrected, smirking coyly. "Fine, if we aren't talking about my quirks, let's try yours. Did you and Judy look at that packet I left you?"

"Not yet," he answered. "Kept meaning to, but always forget when we're together."

"You don't need to be together to read it," Skye assured him, coming over to stand in front of him. "You will need to be together to discuss it. I would love to hear what you think, once you've gotten through it."

"Okay, that's eerily vague," he told her. "Mind at least explaining what it's all about?"

Skye checked the top of the steps again, seemingly worried that Judy might listen in, which only made Nick wonder all the more. "That stack of papers should improve your day, no matter what news you get. You might want to wait until you're having a particularly bad day. Those pages might change everything, no matter how bad it is. Given the letter that arrived in the mail yesterday, I'd deal with that first."

Nick furrowed his brows in confusion, but motioned toward the door to her basement rooms. "I don't want to keep you from your bunny, and possibly a shower. I'm sure he'll be curious how your date went."

"Thanks! Can't wait to tell him," Skye answered, as though the conversation were entirely natural to her. Then again, Nick guessed it might have been for her, and it was only him being awkward. She hurried off, and disappeared into her basement fortress with the closing of the door.

Nick waited where he was a little longer, then sniffed and smiled to himself. "You can come out, mom. I pay attention, even if she doesn't. I didn't know you had taken up spying."

The grumble from the hall behind him confirmed that he had guessed correctly. Several clicks of her cane later, Marian walked up alongside him, an annoyed scowl aimed at the basement door, rather than at him for once.

"Your sister is going to be the death of someone who worries as much as I do," she told him, keeping her voice low. "And here I thought you, your brother, and Judy found all the creative ways to make me wonder if you were putting yourself in harm's way."

Nick tilted his head to watch his mother, without turning. "Nice try, mom. I don't get derailed from my train of thought that easily. First off, I know you don't worry about Skye. You suggested staking her to the train tracks a few weeks ago."

"That was before I found out she was adopted and almost part of the family…and before she spent a great deal of time putting up with me. I wasn't exactly nice to her, but she never hesitated to help however she could. Even I can admit when I was wrong."

"Were you wrong about her?"

Marian smirked and shrugged. "I'll admit it when I'm convinced."

"Second, what's the story about a letter? I checked our mail, and there was nothing but advertisements." At that, Marian looked away, and swallowed hard. "You stole some of our mail? What's gotten into you, mom?"

"It wasn't a letter you wanted to get," she explained with a deep sigh. "The CPS replied to your request to reconsider already."

"We mailed that Monday. There's no way they could have reviewed it by now. Where's the letter?"

The humor faded instantly from Marian's expression. "I agree. They could not have this soon."

Nick turned fully to face his mother. "Spit it out, mom."

"I'm certain they'll let you know when they're ready to begin the process of matching you two to children in need of a good home. Let this letter go."

"Does this have something to do with me disobeying you and being honest about my and Judy's species in the review letter?" he asked next, knowing he was going to have to force an answer out of his mother. "I'm not going to lie to the CPS, especially since I've met their most unpleasant members. With Judy back, and an actual marriage—which still gives me the shakes after I say it out loud—they'll have to reconsider their earlier stance."

Marian's whiskers twitched, until finally she let her shoulders sink, and reached into one of her robe's pockets. Pulling out the CPS paperwork Nick had only mailed five days earlier, she put it into his paw. "I suggest not reading it. Go, snuggle with your wife. This can go in a dumpster."

Nick turned the folded papers over in his paw, as he realized he held the CPS documents in one paw and the ones from Skye in the other. Stacking them, he thanked his mother softly, and made his way up the stairs, knowing he was going to be ruining his day by looking at the paperwork. The answer was pretty certain, given the way his mother had reacted, but if he was lucky, Judy could find an upside or a way to work the system. He had faith that she would help him build the family they had hoped for, one way or another.

Slipping into the bedroom, Nick tossed Skye's papers onto his nightstand, then crawled back into bed beside Judy. He had barely settled before she stirred, shifting backward under the covers to nestle against him.

"I take it you're still asleep?" he asked, smiling down at her.

Eyes still closed, Judy replied, "Yup. Still sleeping."

"I'm not sure you want to issue that challenge, Fluff. I've figured out all the ways to ensure you're very wide awake and paying attention to me."

"Not all the ways," she told him, peeking out the corner of her eye at him. "I'm saving a few surprises for when you get bored with me."

Nick snorted and lay down fully on the bed, putting his right arm over Judy, while he slid the paperwork from the CPS under his pillow. "The odds of me ever getting bored with you are pretty slim if the last year is any indicator. Besides, you know I live for creative surprises. I won't claim they'll be good surprises by the time I'm really old, but 'got your nose' might be the best I can come up with to wake you when I go senile."

"I'd better hurry up and let all my secrets out, then," Judy teased, rolling over and pulling the covers over them both. She slid one leg over his hip, and he realized she had shed her boxer shorts sometime during the night. "You aren't getting any younger."

Nick felt instantly guilty as he realized he was in no mood for romance, no matter how much it appealed. The papers under his pillow seemed to nag at him, until he sighed and drew Judy's attention away from tugging at his clothing.

"I'm sorry, but we need to look at something," he told her, unable to meet her eyes.

"I'm not falling for that again, Nick. Just tell me what you want, but playing the game of surprising me with that was a good way to get yourself bit in an unpleasant place. I'll play along with almost anything, but I can't promise not to react badly to some surprises, especially near my face."

Nick's mind struggled to decide whether to be terribly amused by memories of surprising Judy earlier in the week, or to continue to be somber about the bad news waiting for them. Opting for the latter, he hoped they could put it behind them quickly, so he could get himself back in the right frame of mind for the half-naked bunny pressed up against him.

"Judy," he tried again, pulling the paperwork out. She seemed to recognize it immediately, and her hips shifted away from him as she stared at his paw. "They replied already."

Judy raised one paw to reach for the papers, but then stopped shy of touching them. Raising her ears—which Nick considered mildly comical when she was lying on her side in bed—she proclaimed, "Maybe they recognized how awful they were to you last time and quickly decided to give you another chance!"

"Maybe," Nick admitted. He lay them down on the bed between himself and Judy. They both stared at the papers, with neither of them making any attempt to open them. "I think you should look first."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the highly-decorated cop."

"So are you."

"You're the captain."

"If we're pulling rank, then I order you to look first, Slick."

Nick sighed and accepted that there was no winning this debate. Slowly, he unfolded the papers, until a bright red stamp became visible over top of the hundreds of tiny blanks they had been forced to fill out in great detail. The stamp was impossible not to read at a glance: "Denied. Do not resubmit." Covering part of the stamp was a large sticky note, almost as large as the page it was attached to, written in a neat and precise penmanship. This drew Nick's eye, but Judy grabbed it off the paper and began reading it over, while he found himself stuck staring at the stamped refusal to allow them to adopt.

"They can't be this ignorant," Judy whispered, and Nick could tell she had begun reading the note. "No one's that blind to what's best for children, especially in a department whose sole purpose is to help mammals adopt children who need them. I…I really want to shoot someone, Nick."

Nick slid aside the paperwork, which really needed no further study. Gently, he plucked the note from Judy's paws and turned it around so he could see the text on it.

 _Mister and Missus Wilde-Hopps, while the agency appreciates your desire to adopt, we cannot and will not allow a couple like yourselves to raise children. It is the agency's belief that while nearly any loving family is fitting to a child, the confusion that would come from your arrangement is not one we would inflict on predator or prey. We wish you well in your familial choices. Please do not apply again. To appease the wishes of the police chief and mayor who demanded we try to work with you two, the kits previously housed with you will be given good home with the Hopps family, so long as they are not rehomed with your mixed household. –Orville_

"So that's the end of that dream for our family?" Nick asked no one in particular, as he stared at the note. He barely noticed Judy get up from the bed and pull on her robe, though her snuffles were impossible for him to ignore. "I'm glad they're with your family, but it sounds like we won't ever adopt in Zootopia."

"We won't have a family, Nick," Judy replied, her voice cracking. She was only barely managing to keep from crying. "It's a fight we can't win through cleverness. We tried, but it won't happen. I'm sorry if being with me cost you…"

Nick was off the bed and on his knees in front of Judy before she could finish, already holding her in a tight hug as he kissed her cheeks. "Don't do that to yourself! This isn't something we did wrong. We might not be able to adopt today, but there will be a way, sooner or later. Maybe they'll reconsider in time. We'll find some way."

"This isn't a hustle!" she snapped, though he knew she was not mad at him. "We won't have kits, Nick. It's done. Please let me go mope in the shower for a week or two, until I feel like I can show my face around town again. This isn't the worst news I've ever gotten, but it's pretty close. I just… I need to be alone to cheer myself up, before I take it out on you or anyone else."

He kissed her brow one more time. "You mean you want to go cry where I can't see it."

"Pretty much," she admitted, wiping the back of one paw across her cheek as a tear ran down through her fur. "I don't want either of us placing blame, so I want some time alone."

"Oh, you can probably blame me for this," Nick said, giving her a sheepish grin, hoping to cheer her up a little. "Fox. I'm sure they've got good reasons to hate me. We're all shifty and sketchy…"

Judy glared at him, as tears continued to fall more quickly. "It's not you, Nick. It's this city. All the preaching about how they are open to everyone and everything, but a predator and prey married are too 'scary' to adopt. It makes me sick. I don't know if I can trust anyone outside this family anymore the way the city keeps letting me down."

Nick looked around, trying to think of something—anything, really—that would potentially cheer Judy up, even for a moment. His gaze fell on the papers from Skye on the nightstand, and he snatched it with his left paw, putting it between them where she could see it. "Skye said this was going to be something to cheer us up. Why don't you take a look?"

Judy sighed and nodded, taking the papers from him. With slow deliberateness—as though fighting her own urge to collapse or drop the sheets—she opened the battered stack of papers. The sadness slowly faded to confusion and curiosity as she read. When she started flipping through them rapidly, and then going back to the beginning, Nick started to wonder.

"What is it, Fluff?" Nick asked, reaching for the pages, but Judy seemed not to notice him at all. "You gonna share?"

Judy nodded vaguely, then pulled the top page off the pile and turned it to face Nick. "Is that your pawwriting?"

The paper she held up was cracked and stained, as though having seen far too much use. It took him a few extra seconds to realize he was looking at one of the journal pages, with his notes scribbled all along the top from his research into his mother's illness. Those notes stopped about halfway down the page, where a new section began. There, an official-looking stamp not unlike the one the CPS had used had brought his reading to a stop originally, and sent him on to the next section.

"Theoretical research, not for public consumption," he read aloud. "I think I skimmed that section, but it didn't have anything to do with diseases, so I moved on. I think that was in the lagomorph book, and got mixed in with the canid ones. Why would Skye gift back to us a bunch of old research that has nothing to do with us?"

Judy flipped the page back to face her, and read to him. "'With the war continuing to escalate, research into ways to mitigate future conflict have been generally discouraged in favor of practical application. Lasting peace is unlikely, so long as the roots of conflict remain'. It goes on for another paragraph, talking about how bad the war's been on both sides, then this. 'Against policy, this study is meant to evaluate the odds of comingling genetic lines between predator and prey, allowing eventual mutual bloodlines, to reduce any excuse for ongoing aggressions. All mammals share a vast majority of their genetic code, making it possible, though difficult, to trigger the creation of a chimera that shares traits of both lineages. We have performed the following experiments, and believe with several technological advances unavailable at this time, a chimera could be created with relatively minimal effort. All subjects and offspring in the third round and beyond reported good health, with no cases of genetic abnormalities or sterilization'."

"I got about as much out of it with you reading as I did when I read it," Nick admitted. "I stopped when I saw the note on the right side that says the researchers were executed for their trial studies. Anything that bad wasn't even on my radar. The canid pages already rewrote Zootopian history. This was more than I was ready to plow through."

Judy held the pages in front of his face and tapped the word "chimera" a few dozen times rapidly. "Do you know what that means?"

"Not even a bit of a clue."

"In clinical terms, it's a mix of two organisms, like one mammal having cells that don't match, or having two fathers and one mother, or things like that. I only know that because my cousin Willard Hopps had really strange patterning, and the doctors said it was because he was a chimera. It sometimes happens naturally within a species, when cells combine weird…but this study was meant to combine two entirely different species."

Nick blinked hard and looked between the papers and Judy. "They…interbred predators and prey?"

"Not entirely," Judy corrected, flipping through the pages. "They couldn't quite make it work with the technology at the time, but they figured out how to do it in a lab with very controlled species choices. They only got it to work between different wolf species, hares and bunnies, and a few other close matches. They theorize with advances in technology, it could eventually be any two predator types, any two prey types, a mix of predator and prey, or a mix of different…avian types."

Nick stood up and eyed the pages. "They were interbreeding birds?"

"I guess," Judy replied, rereading one page. "I don't really understand that part, because it says all subjects reported good health, as did all offspring. Birds can't exactly report on anything."

Without a word, Nick turned and went to his bedside, where his cell phone had been charging all night. He picked it up, and pressed a speed dial he had added at Skye's request several days prior. The phone rang several times, and he had to hold up a finger to keep Judy from interrupting him as she kept reading.

"Hello?" answered John Wilde, on the other end of the line.

"Hey, dad, I have a question for you," Nick explained, turning to look over at Judy. "What can you tell me about avians?"

John snorted and chuckled. "I'm legally-obligated to tell you that they're a viable food source, and slightly endangered, but otherwise not a topic of discussion."

"Cut the shit, John. I'm looking at ZBI documents that mention conversations with avians, and I'm betting they don't mean parrots."

"Right…those," John replied, muttering something under his breath. "The walking and talking kind are assholes, at least to us foxes. Mostly tribal, and very isolated since the Ursians took over their islands. Several species are bordering on full extinction. Why did this come up?"

"I just want to be immensely clear about this," Nick went on, and he saw Judy's ears go straight up as he talked. "There's a tribe of talking birds, living on islands controlled by the Ursians?"

"Yeah. Ursians used to use them as test subjects for new weapons, but there aren't a lot of them around anymore, so most animals don't really ever see them. Heard they used to be as far north as Zootopia, but not sure that's been true for generations. Can you tell me why you're asking?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll call you later," Nick told his father, before hanging up. He walked past Judy and out to the hall with her following a few steps behind him.

"Nick, where are you going?" Judy asked, trailing him the whole way down the steps. "We're talking about the possibility of having kits… Are you okay?"

"Actually, I'm ecstatic," he told her, as he walked into the kitchen. He headed straight for the fridge, with her right behind. "I just need to take care of something first."

Throwing open the freezer, Nick grabbed the small pile of wrapped and frozen chicken, then threw it into the nearby trash bin. He moved to the fridge next, and took out all of the eggs, which went into the trash, too.

"Okay, now we can talk," he said as he closed the fridge. "What I've learned this year is that the Ursians can pretty much ruin all forms of food. I might actually have to go vegetarian at this rate. Anyway, kits?"

Judy stood between Nick and the hallway entrance to the kitchen, and as he came around to face her, he realized his mother stood only a few steps behind her.

"Yes, kits!" Judy repeated, waving the pages at him. "It's not something that'll happen right away, but it _can_ happen. _Our_ kits by blood, at that. Even if we never make it work, there's a vague possibility, and that's more than we had."

Behind Judy, Marian smiled broadly and leaned on the doorframe.

"This calls for some kind of celebration," Nick told them, feeling the entire oppressive weight of the last few minutes vanish instantly. "It's too early for much, but maybe later this afternoon—"

A deep boom echoed through the kitchen from the front hall, and for a second, Nick wondered if Skye had fired a weapon inside the house. He rushed past his mother, with Judy at his side the whole way to the entrance to the basement, just as a second boom came from the front door. Turning, Nick stared at the reinforced steel door. Nearby, Skye appeared in the doorway to the basement, holding a large pistol, but Nick motioned at her until she backed out of sight.

"Any idea what that was?" Nick asked, waiting for another sound, but hearing nothing.

"No," Judy admitted, waving his mother back toward the kitchen. "Normally, I'd say it was someone knocking, but with that door, I have no idea."

After several seconds, the doorbell rang shrilly in the hall.

Nick approached the door and peeked out the curtains that covered the narrow window on the side of the doorframe, but whoever was there had leaned against the glass, preventing him from seeing anything more than the fabric of their coat. Muttering in frustration, he reached into the nearby closet and pulled out his ZPD pistol. Faintly, he could hear Skye still standing by behind him.

"Be ready for anything," Nick told Judy over his shoulder.

Once he was certain Judy was prepared to run if needed, he clicked the lock on the door and brought the pistol up on the inner side of the door where it would not be seen. He eased the door open a few inches, and found himself staring up at three polar bears, who glowered angrily back—except Kevin, who was wiggling the toes of his right hind paw, as though he had stubbed it.

"Kevin, Koslov, Mike," Nick said, keeping his tone neutral. "Something I can help you with? Pretty sure I don't have any outstanding poker debts…"

To Nick's surprise, Mike shoved his hind paw into the doorway, forcing the door open further, while drawing a shotgun from behind his back. Kevin likewise raised a shotgun, both of them centering Nick in their crosshairs, while Koslov held out his forepaws. They all held their ground for several seconds, and once he seemed satisfied that no one was going to react badly, Koslov lifted his top paw to reveal Mister Big in his office chair, perched atop Koslov's lower paw.

"Nicky, Nicky," the shrew said, shaking his head slowly. "We seem to have a dispute that needs settling. You haven't returned my calls, you never write, not even a nice postcard when your dear momma recovered."

"To be fair, you called during my wedding," Nick answered, unable to really look Mister Big in the eyes with two shotguns aimed at his head. "It's been a busy week. I thought I'd have more time to thank you before there were guns pointed at me."

Mister Big nodded sagely, then raised one tiny paw. Both polar bears lowered their weapons. "Nicky, you wound me. After all I've done for you, you disappear as soon as things are going well. I put out a small fortune to help you, not so long ago."

"And you stand to make a fortune in return," Nick countered, his fur prickling with nervousness. He wanted desperately to close the door and lock it, but sooner or later, he would have to deal with the mobster. With his left paw behind the door, holding his pistol, he felt like he was in a standoff with the three bears. Knowing Skye, she was likely waiting for his signal before returning fire. "Sole license rights to the Ursian vaccine for Canine Lung, I hear."

"That and a few others," Mister Big noted, smiling crookedly. "Discovering and curing a disease on the same day is incredibly profitable. Also, I was made aware that the Zootopian history books need a, shall we say, revision? Purchasing textbook publishing companies is no easy feat. That's not what I was getting at, though, Nicky. You disrespect me with the way you handle yourself. Simple courtesy. You need to learn it. Your dear momma is probably wishing she could roll over in her grave for your rudeness, but now she's gotta live with this kind of…bad manners."

"My mom's fine, thanks. What's this about?"

Mister Big grinned and leaned back in his chair, opening his mouth to reply, but then stopped and squinted past Nick. "Judy? Child, you've been crying. What's the fox done this time?"

Suddenly, both shotguns came right back up, centering on Nick's midsection.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Judy exclaimed, rushing up alongside Nick. She put herself bodily between the weapons and Nick, and almost immediately, both bears lowered their weapons. "Nick didn't do anything! We got some bad news…"

"The adoption agency?" asked Mister Big, raising his eyebrows. "Want I should talk with them? Make a little piggy disappear? These things can be…arranged."

"No!" Judy blurted out, reaching back to pluck the pistol out of Nick's paw, where the action could not be seen by the visitors. She gave it a light toss onto the small table near the door, which had a bowl for keys. "We got bad news, then some good news. I was crying, yes, but that's not Nick's fault. You need to stop threatening to kill him. Seriously, stop it."

Mister Big motioned very subtly, and the shotguns went into the back of both bear's jackets. "Judy, honey, your fox, he doesn't really understand. Sometimes the best way to make a point is with a heavy stick, or a rolled up newspaper."

"You don't exactly make it easy for him to work with you," Judy said firmly, and Nick began to wonder how much she could get away with. She certainly seemed to be pushing her luck. "Now, why are you here, pointing guns at my husband?"

"Boyfriend," Mister Big corrected, raising a finger.

"Husband," Judy snapped right back.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain it's boyfriend," replied Mister Big, a slow grin spreading across his muzzle. "Did you know that the Bunnyburrow charter makes bunny-to-bunny marriages legal in Zootopia, no matter what family or sub-species they are, but always clearly notes that it's between _bunnies_?"

Judy's ears fell, and Nick felt his spirits fall with them.

"It's legally-binding," Judy said firmly. "My third cousin Tulip married a hare three years ago—"

"And they were remarried in a civil service here in the city, when it was ruled non-binding anywhere outside the burrow," the shrew explained. "Judy, my dear, I'm trying to protect you from what might come sooner or later, when you sign paperwork, and some mammal argues too hard."

Judy glanced over her shoulder at Nick, and he gave her a shrug, unsure if any of it was true. When she did not immediately answer, he spoke up for her.

"Mister Big," he said, moving up alongside Judy to fill the doorway. "I do appreciate your…concern. If you're trying to give us some weird excuse to break up—"

"Break up? Heaven's no," Mister Big cut in, his eyes widening enough to see his pupils, albeit briefly. "I'm here to scold you two for rushing in without doing the proper research, or inviting all your guests. I expect better, Nicky. Full ceremony. I also expect an invitation. Also, cake."

Nick blinked several times, before he was certain he fully understood. "Seriously? This was all about you not getting invited to a wedding ceremony that wasn't meant to be a ceremony in the first place? It's not like we can afford that right now, anyway. Furnishing this house wiped out a chunk of our savings."

"No, not all about that," Mister Big answered, smiling. "No godmother to my grandchild is getting by without a proper wedding. Dress, guests, the whole thing."

"You're wearing the dress," Judy said to Nick with a big grin, but he all but ignored her, as he heard his mother clapping excitedly behind them. It seemed everyone was in on the fun, but him.

"Oh, one other thing I almost overlooked," Mister Big added, patting Koslov's paw. The bear raised him, so he was able to look over top of Nick and Judy. "Missus Wilde, one other guest absolutely must be invited, given his part in bringing these two back together. I know your…reservations about this. If you need an escort to the wedding…"

Nick turned to look at his mother and found that she had frozen, her paws slightly apart, as though caught mid-clap.

"Who?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Nicky's father earned a place in the hall, even if he has to sit in back," Mister Big told her, and his tone left little room for argument. "Without him, Judy would be dead, as would the other bunny, and possibly myself. Saving her or I, I consider worth a seat at the party. You do not need to speak with him if you don't want to. I do understand how the Wilde males can cause that kind of reaction."

"I'm still where I can hear you," Nick reminded them both, but they ignored him.

"I can be in the same room with him, if I have to be," Marian assured the mobster. "I may not be happy with John, but I can manage. When are you planning to have this ceremony?"

"Do we get a say in this?" Judy asked them, but got just as ignored as Nick had. "We kind of have this under control already."

"This winter," Mister Big told Marian. "I will, of course, pay for all of the expenses, minus the cost of one particular rug. Nicky can cover that cost. Paying for the ceremony is the least I can do after all the…benefits…I gained from Nicky and Judy's travels south. I think we can call it even at that point."

"Even?" Nick asked, scowling at Mister Big. "How much profit are you looking to get from the vaccines and textbooks?"

Mister Big finally looked toward Nick and grinned even more broadly. "Ten million, give or take. You still don't think big-picture, Nicky, my boy. I already control all trade between that darling tigress, Katrina, and Zootopia. That should earn another ten each year, until the trade agreement ends in five years. A fair trade for getting you a proper wedding."

"Sixty million in exchange for a classy wedding?" Nick said, exchanging glances with Judy. She slowly took his paw in hers, and he sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Sixty million in exchange for a really nice wedding, but there better be an open bar. If so, it's a deal."

"Was there a doubt?" Mister Big asked in reply. "G'day, Nicky. We'll be in touch."

With that, the three bears left—though Kevin limped badly—and Nick wondered how his life had ever gotten this complicated. One glance down at his paw in Judy's answered that, and he could not help but smile happily back at her.


	29. Epilogue 1

Winter of the Bear – Epilogue Part 1, "Fluff"

 **January 4** **th** **, Saturday – Meadowlands Conference Center**

"I really don't think I can do this," Nick muttered to himself, turning on his heel to run for the door, only to find himself facing the knees of Kevin, who had been stationed by Mister Big at the doorway. "I need to go get a drink."

"Nope," the enormous polar bear replied gruffly. "Boss's orders. You ain't goin' nowhere until it's time. They'll bring you a drink. Scotch?"

"Always," Nick replied, then went back to pacing the room. He smoothed his tuxedo jacket nervously, trying to get the tie to lay right. "What if I have to pee?"

"Use the potted plant in the corner," Kevin replied, and Nick could feel the bear's grin.

"Am I actually a captive here?" Nick asked, turning to look up at Kevin.

The burly bear sighed and let his arms drop to his sides. "Nah, I'm just playin', Wilde. What you freaking out about? I thought you wanted this?"

"Speeches scare me. I really need to work out my vows, and I'm still not ready. I don't have a single word on paper yet. The ceremony itself I'm thrilled about."

"Speech? That's your problem?" Kevin asked, huffing as he moved a little closer. "You talk all the time, hustler. You can't talk no good words on your wedding day?"

Nick shrugged and adjusted his tie again. "This is different. More important."

"Nah, you're just bein' crazy," Kevin insisted, coming up to loom over Nick. After a moment, he took a knee and swatted both of Nick's paws away with one finger. Then, using the tips of his claws—something that left Nick frozen and terrified briefly—Kevin set to adjusting Nick's tie. "Worryin' because we're gonna break your knees, that's a good reason to worry. Worryin' because your girlfriend ain't gonna like your vows, now that's just dumb. I didn't write anythin' for my wedding, and it turned out fine, but that's cuz I'm a smooth talker, like you. Wing it, fox. It's what you're good at. She'll love it."

"I can see how we're alike," Nick mumbled, unsure if he really should be joking about anything that might get his head popped off by Kevin. "Since we're buddies now—"

"I ain't your buddy," warned Kevin, tapping Nick hard on the chest with a fingertip.

"—ouch, right, since no one's going to kill anyone here, can I ask a serious question?"

"Nope," replied the bear as he stood up. "Then again, not like it's gonna stop you."

Smiling and backing quickly away from Kevin, Nick talked as he started pacing the room again. "The way I see it, Mister Big's a big softy, and he's just trying to intimidate me. I think he's really sweet on Judy and I, and I was never in any real danger. That true?"

Kevin snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's tells me to kill you, I kill you. Simple as that. As for him liking you both, that definitely ain't true. He likes the bunny. You, not so much. You, he tolerates. You mess up with the bunny, we break your knees. You make the bunny cry, we break your knees. You piss off Mister Big, we break your knees. Want I should continue?"

"Your pep talks need work," Nick told Kevin, getting another snort in reply. "I won't hurt Judy. You don't have to be worried about that."

"I ain't worried. Do I look worried?"

Nick turned back to the mirror and gave himself another once-over. Everything was as good as it would get, without replacing himself along the way. "How am I doing on time?"

"You're gonna be at the aisle in ten minutes, even if I hafta carry you. Means we're leavin' here in five."

"You can save yourself the effort," Nick told Kevin, as he headed for the door. This time, the bear let him pass, and stayed back some distance as Nick made his way through the halls of the conference center. He soon reached the "inner" doors of the building, which led into a vast open plaza, filled with green grass and high bushes on the edges to hide the walls, giving the illusion of being outdoors. In the middle of the Zootopian winter, the massive domed courtyard was a popular destination for those who needed some time in nature, or were planning a wedding at an odd time. The warmth within the garden plaza kept the windows overhead clear of snow, so he had a relatively unobstructed view of the bright blue sky overhead as he padded out onto the grass walkway that went straight down the middle of the courtyard.

To either side of the path he walked, rows of seats had been set up. He and Judy had worked out a list of who was going to attend, narrowing it to a "small" list of two hundred close relatives of Judy's, plus Nick's mother, Finnick, Skye and Harry, and a few dozen officers they wanted present. That initial plan of under two hundred fifty mammals had fallen apart when word got out that a fox and a bunny—specifically, a famous fox and bunny—were getting married.

Now, the courtyard was packed with almost a thousand animals of all shapes and sizes. Despite a general dislike for foxes in the city and a very low regard for a fox and bunny being involved, everyone wanted to see it for themselves. Most were not guests, and included dozens of employees of the conference center, largely milling about the edges of the courtyard.

Centered at the end of the path was Chief Bogo in his dress uniform, ready to perform the ceremony. Only a little right of Bogo was a ZNN crew, strategically positioned near the front of the path. On the far side of Bogo, someone had apparently allowed Foxes' News to take up a very visible location—something that rather surprised Nick, given how few animals trusted anything they saw on a network by foxes, for foxes, and about foxes. Several smaller stations had cameras around the edges of the courtyard, trying to stay out of the way.

All-in-all, the area felt as though the city was more startled by the wedding than they had been about Night Howlers. That, in turn, made Nick far more self-conscious than he wanted to be. As he slunk up the aisle, he kept his eyes straight forward and had to work to keep his paws out of his pockets. The only time he allowed himself to look around was as he neared the front rows, where his mother and Judy's parents beamed at him happily, with the five kits he had tried adopting in their laps, waving excitedly. He almost got past them before he realized who was sitting by his mother: John. His father looked as happy as those around him, and even Nick could not find any rage left within himself to aim at John. Whatever the case, Marian and he had come to an understanding that allowed him to sit near her for the length of the wedding without being beaten.

Standing off to the left of Bogo—on Nick's side of the area, as he understood it—were Finnick, Skye, Felix Spetz, and Benjamin Clawhauser, as his escorts. He still was not clear on their purpose, other than to show support for Nick if he panicked, and as proof that he did have friends. The other side would be where Judy's escorts stood, though he was unsure who she was bringing. The whole ceremony had been planned behind his back between Judy and Mister Big, leaving him precious little information.

Taking his place at the head of the aisle, Nick waited near Bogo for whatever was to come next. The details had been a bit fuzzy, and he had definitely pounded more scotch in the previous few days than had been wise, as he had worked on his vows. With so many differences of culture between Judy's family and his own—and even more between the various Zootopian species involved in the wedding—all he knew was that they had muddled together some form of formal wedding ceremony, where the two of them would declare their intentions publicly. Everything else, he had left in Bogo's capable hooves to sort out.

"You ready for this, Wilde?" Bogo asked softly, though he could probably have talked at normal volume, given the sheer number of animals making noise. Nick almost failed to notice the music playing somewhere, though picking out the tune in the noise was almost impossible.

"Pretty much born ready," Nick replied, hoping to assure himself, as well as Bogo. "No one's going to tase me, right?"

"Likely not," Bogo answered, chuckling. "There was talk about a bachelor's party, but we decided Hopps would have come down hard on all of us for anything that happened there, and a taser would likely have been involved. Safer for us all without any surprises."

"I'd have been pretty boring, anyway, chief. Aside from drinking, there's not much to tempt me with, and as far as I'm concerned, we already got married."

"You're a better animal than most, no matter what I tell everyone in public," Bogo said, as he leaned a little closer to Nick. "I also will never admit I said that."

"You do a fox proud, sir," Nick teased right back, grinning as he turned to face the audience. Instantly, his heart began pounding as he looked out at the sea of animals staring back at him, many with cameras. Narrowing his focus to the front few rows helped him calm himself and resist the urge to run away, by filtering out the hundreds upon hundreds of mammals he did not know. "Sir, you know if she's going to carry through on her threat?"

"To make you wear a dress, so she didn't feel obligated?" asked Bogo in reply. From the corner of Nick's eye, he saw Bogo glance toward Clawhauser, before he lowered his voice further. "Doubt it, since you made it this far in a suit. She might be in a tux, too. Hell, she might be in jeans and a t-shirt for all I know. Clawhauser had to explain 'why' on almost every part of this ceremony to her."

"He volunteered for that duty, didn't he?"

"He absolutely did. Already had a scrapbook with ideas ready, even before he knew this was going to happen. Nimr is having a small nervous meltdown about how ready Benji is for his own wedding, from what I hear. They've probably got some time yet, given Nimr and Gazelle's touring schedule."

The next few minutes seemed to slow to a crawl, and Nick found himself watching the crowd to keep his mind occupied. Most of the animals in the courtyard were talking amongst themselves, though ZNN and Foxes' News had reporters who were both chattering endlessly to their audiences, and what little he could hear of the two versions, there were absolutely no similarities. He then turned his attention to the front row, first to Judy's parents, and found that Stu was crying uncontrollably, despite a big smile on his face, while Bonnie rolled her eyes and kept handing him fresh tissues. The five kits bounded between the two adult bunnies, trying to get a better view. Turning to his right slightly, he saw that his mother and John were whispering quietly, and neither looked the least bit angry at the other—and that his mother wore a single crimson rose, pinned to the edge of her dress's collar.

 _I guess anyone can be forgiven, eventually_ , he thought, smiling. That smile dropped sharply as the music became a little louder. Initially, Nick had believed the music to be a recording, but as it picked up in volume, he realized that there was a live band and singer behind it. The voice behind the melody was not hard to recognize, once the crowd quieted and looked toward the courtyard entrance.

"Gazelle?" Nick blurted out, getting a few stray glances from those in the audience. "We seriously got an international pop star to show up at our wedding? I agreed to ask her, thinking she'd refuse. Why didn't anyone tell me she accepted?"

On cue, the doors from the conference center's halls opened, and Nimr and another of Gazelle's tiger dancers strode into the courtyard, wearing tuxedo pants and ties—but nothing else, other than some glitter. They led the way, giving stern, yet beckoning, stares at the crowd as they moved elegantly down the aisle. Behind them, Gazelle was singing softly into a wireless microphone, turning as he walked to acknowledge nearly every single animal in the crowd, as well as the cameras. Following her, the other two tiger dancers made their appearance, following in perfect stride with the first two tigers.

The group made their way slowly through the courtyard, somehow always maintaining perfect symmetry between the four dancers, despite Gazelle's efforts to give everyone a moment's attention. At last, they reached the front of the aisle, and Gazelle let the song trail off, while her dancers parted between the two sides—Nimr and one other dancer to Nick's side, giving Benjamin a wink as he went by. They stood behind his escorts and where Judy's would be, and then Gazelle took the last few steps up to face Nick and Bogo.

Turning delicately in her absurd "shoes"—which Nick was reasonably certain someone in her company had designed simply to convince mammals to buy yet another product from her—Gazelle stepped up in front of Nick. She lowered her microphone to her side, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Before she pulled away, she whispered, "Thank you to both of you. The five of us wouldn't be here, if not for you and your lovely bunny. This is the least we could do for you."

Nick smiled as he felt a strong blush spread under his fur. It was not every day he got a kiss from a superstar. He could not even find words to reply to her, before Gazelle went to Chief Bogo and took his hoof, kissing that as well. The blush was actually visible all up Bogo's muzzle as Gazelle made her way past Bogo to her dancers on Judy's side.

"Best…wedding…ever," Bogo told Nick softly. "Heard she's staying for the reception, too."

"Don't make an ass of yourself at the open bar," Nick warned over his shoulder. "If you flirt with Gazelle, I _will_ get pictures to use against you for years to come."

"I… That's not… Shut your damn mouth, Wilde," Bogo sputtered, straightening up. "Pay attention to your wedding, not what I might do after a few drinks. I don't need your advice when it comes to Gaz…females."

"Clawhauser will get a kiss on the cheek before you do," Nick teased. "I'll put money on it."

"I'm not above slapping you upside your head at your own wedding, Wilde."

"On camera, sir? That seems like bad publicity. Go ahead, if you think that's best for the ZPD. Bet you the fox news crew will have it on camera and all over the next broadcast."

Bogo's grumble let Nick know he had won the battle, and the chief would be on good behavior with Gazelle, at least until he had a few drinks in him. Then, Nick had every intention of laughing at his boss's expense. He prepared to say something else witty, but entirely lost his train of thought as Gazelle started singing again and the courtyard doors opened once more. This time, the way was led by Judy's niece, Cotton, who scattered flower petals on the path through the courtyard—and tossed pawfuls to several bunnies in the seats nearby. The violet coloring of the flowers was definitely not random. Nick recognized them as the same type he had purchased Judy as a gift months before, for their first date.

Cotton skipped her way to the front of the path, while Nick could see that others were waiting in the darker hallway she had come from. When the kit finally bounded past the front row, she headed to Nick's left, to take a seat beside Bonnie Hopps. There, she shared the last few flower petals with Mike, Amy, Mary, Kara, and Seth.

After another few seconds of Gazelle's lilting voice, five figures emerged from the hallway and into the brightly-lit courtyard. Leading the group were Fru Fru—Mister Big's daughter—and Emily Hopps, who Judy had picked as an escort specifically to prove a point about how Judy was not going to end up unmarried and alone. Both wore simple dresses of a pale pink, which Nick noted looked quite nice on Fru Fru, but decidedly awful on Emily.

Behind the lead escorts, Judy strode slowly down the path—drawing a squeal of excitement from Clawhauser—her paws coming down gently on the flower petals and grass. Without realizing it, Nick caught his breath at how beautiful she looked. To Nick's surprise, she wore an elegant gown of violet, which matched the flowers she walked on—he had actually expected her to wear a tuxedo, given her general dislike of frilly things. A partial veil covered the top of her head, and back down over her ears. As she walked, she kept her eyes on the ground, giving off a sense of shyness Nick knew was an act, but which made him want her to look his way all the more.

 _This is all a game to her_ , he thought, clicking his tongue in annoyance. _As usual, she's winning. Not that it's hard to win after agreeing to sleep separately for the last month, but still. Stupid traditions. I liked the bunny ones far better. Who, in this age, banishes their partner to the spare bedroom right before getting married, let alone married the second time? My mom had to have made that tradition up._

Once Judy reached the halfway mark down the aisle and the news crews had stopped gushing about how she looked, Nick managed to get a look past her. One of the other two escorts was mostly hidden behind Judy's dress, and together they were carrying the long train of fabric from it. On Nick's left—Judy's right—Harry kept pace with her, grinning happily as he held the fabric off the ground. Unlike the other escorts, he was dressed in a suit, though his shirt was a color match for the dresses.

To Judy's left walked Cyndi, who Judy had spent a great deal of time with in the last few weeks. From what Nick had been able to gather, Cyndi had become Judy's sounding board for the ongoing fight she was having with the traumas she had endured in Rolen's captivity. The fossa and Judy had bonded, and now regularly disappeared for "girls' nights," which Nick took to mean they went out drinking and talking. Given that since the wedding was announced, Cyndi got to spend more time with Judy than Nick did outside work, he was starting to understand Felix's dislike for Cyndi, even if he had no actual issue with her. Jealousy was not usually his way, but he was learning quickly.

Judy's entourage soon reached the end of the aisle between seats, and Fru Fru led Emily toward the far side of Chief Bogo. Stepping up to Bogo's left, across from Nick, Judy kept her eyes down as Harry and Cyndi filed in alongside Emily behind her. When Nick let out a soft "pst" to get her attention, Judy's muzzle curled into a slight smile, proving she was definitely teasing him by not looking up. Whoever had taught her that trick was now Nick's favorite mammal to hate on.

"Dearly beloved of these two mammals…" Bogo began, raising his voice to be heard over the crowds. When the noise from the courtyard did not diminish, he increased his volume yet again. "…AND THE MEDIA…" At last, the whispered conversations died out when the news crews seemed to realize they were being called out. "…we are gathered here today to witness the formal union of this fox and this bunny, before their friends and families. Through some clear mistake of judgement and questionable bookkeeping, I have been asked to perform this ceremony."

 _Because no one else would_ , Nick thought, keeping his smile in place as he watched Judy. _No church in this town would marry prey and predator, let alone most of the civil servants. Two went on extended leaves of absence when they heard we were looking. Thank goodness Bogo's ornery enough to bully his way into the right paperwork to do it. If they knew why he applied for that license, I'm betting there'd have been a fight._

Bogo looked between Nick and Judy, then out across the seated guests, pointedly ignoring the news agencies—especially the foxes, who had begun loudly talking to their viewers about the implications of a bunny "tying down" a noble and respected fox. "Today, we come here to bind these two together in the eyes of their loved ones and the city of Zootopia. Should anyone have pressing reason that they believe these two should not be married, speak now, or—"

A commotion broke out, finally snapping Nick's attention away from Judy's face, and drawing her gaze up, as well. At the door into the conference center, a few dozen mammals were struggling to enter the courtyard, being held back by ten uniformed ZPD officers. One particular deer tried to shout something as Bogo paused, but got a firm paw in the face from Stan, as he shoved her back out into the hall. In the few seconds the door was open, Nick saw protest signs and even a few pictures of Bellwether. These animals were not here to celebrate or gawk; they had come to disrupt the wedding.

"Right, so as I was saying," Bogo continued, clearing his throat as the officers forced the doors closed. "Should anyone in the courtyard have pressing reason that they believe these two should not be married, speak now, or keep it to yourselves forever."

Bogo slowly glared across the crowd, as though daring anyone to challenge the wedding, but those within the courtyard remained quiet. He gave it several seconds, while Judy and Nick both watched him nervously. Nick could still hear the noise of arguments in the hallway, and twitching of Judy's ears under the veil that covered the top and back of her head hinted she could hear it, too.

"Let us proceed, then." Bogo straightened and adjusted to face Nick. "Judy got to go first in the burrow. Would you like to go first for this ceremony?"

"That would be lovely," Nick told Bogo, smiling.

"And, I assume, you have some kind of ridiculous vows prepared?" Nick grinned more broadly, despite the fear clutching his stomach. "Fine. Please state your vows, Nicholas Wilde."

Turning to face Judy, Nick slowly took a knee. He picked up one of her forepaws in his, then looked up into her eyes. He had not initially noticed, but Judy wore very faint makeup in her fur, accenting the color of her eyes, and drawing that color out toward the violet of her gown. The effect was a little hypnotic, and he nearly lost his place. Blinking, Nick forced himself to start talking—and made it up as he went.

"Judith Hopps," he began, then licked his muzzle as it felt painfully dry under pressure, "you are the only mammal I've ever truly loved. Never before in my life have I ever wanted to be where I am today, but with you, I can't imagine a life without you at my side. If you'll have me, I promise to be as good as I can manage, to be faithful to you no matter what might come, and to keep revering you the way I have since the day I met you. I want to be your partner, your friend, and your lover for the rest of my life, or for as long as you're willing to put up with me. My whole life I've sought acceptance and recognition from the city as something more than just 'that fox', but that doesn't even matter to me anymore. Now, I believe I have your acceptance and love, and that is so much more than anything else I could have ever looked for. I pledge to you that I will never want to be anywhere but at your side. Will you, Judith Hopps, take me to be your husband, no matter how dumb I might be, no matter how clever I think I am when I'm not, and no matter how far short I fall from what I want to be for you?"

Laughing and covering her muzzle with her free paw, Judy nodded and squeezed his paw. "I do, you dumb fox."

Nick rose at Bogo's slight gesture.

Turning next to Judy, Bogo asked her, "Do you, also, have vows prepared? Hopefully airtight ones, given who you're marrying."

Judy giggled and nodded. She then lifted the edge of her dress so she could take a knee in front of Nick, still holding his paw.

"Nicholas Piberious Wilde," Judy started, the humor in her voice fading instantly as she stared up at him with clear nervousness in her eyes, "today I am doing something I never thought I would need. This is something I pushed out of my life, wanting only to become the best officer I could be. Since I met you, my entire life has been upended. You've been the largest pain in the tail I've ever met. Despite all the frustrations, I wouldn't give up a single second of it all, if it meant not being with you. No one has ever been a truer friend and partner. You have made me wonder and worry more than I care to admit, but you have always been there for me. I promise to do the same for you, from this day, until my last. Never will you need to doubt my love for you, or my dedication to this being what's right for me. I have only wanted two things in my entire life so strongly that I can feel them when I close my eyes, and this is one. So long as you'll have me, I pledge myself to you. Will you, Nick, take me to be your wife, through the good times and the bad, no matter what might come?"

Nick smiled down at Judy and held perfectly still. He kept his mouth shut as the seconds ticked past, until he saw Judy begin to tense and blink more rapidly in concern. Faintly, he heard several bunnies in the crowd whisper to each other, asking if he was having second thoughts. Just as he was about to let Judy stop worrying, he heard his mother softly say, "Sweet chickens on Sunday, Nicky. Don't be an asshole."

"I do," he finally told her, grinning so broadly it hurt his cheeks. It felt like the smile was beyond his control to stop. "I absolutely do, without question. Was there any doubt?"

Judy's concerned stare snapped to an annoyed glare. "Har har. Keep it up, and you're sleeping on the couch."

Sighing, Bogo motioned for Judy to stand. Once Nick and Judy faced each other, clasping both paws, Bogo addressed the audience again. "Within this great city, we have many traditions. Among some, gifts are exchanged at this point. Among others, a symbol of being bound to one another is given, such as matching rings, or other jewelry. There are a great many ways to express that the spouses are truly together, but these two have chosen to bear no symbols, no customs, and no traditions from any one species, as it would not fully represent them, and who they are as a couple. We, the witnesses today, are the recognition of this union, and their traditions will be their own, as this marriage is something new to our city. The customs they choose as their own will represent a new beginning for the city, and for the first time, Zootopia can truly call itself a merging of all animal cultures. Now, by the power invested in me by the city and surrounding lands of Zootopia, I hereby declare Nicholas Piberious Wilde and Judith Laverne Hopps to be lawfully married in the eyes of the citizens of this fine land. It is with great pleasure that—"

"Pardon me!" called out a female voice from the audience, and Nick froze, wondering if one of the protesters had managed to sneak inside. When he looked over, he was even more surprised to find Katrina and Markus walking up the central aisle. Raising one paw, Katrina repeated, "Pardon me. I cannot allow this. As ambassador from the freed Ursian territories, I insist on speaking."

Bogo grumbled loudly and placed his hoof over Nick and Judy's paws to keep them from letting go. "The time for objections has long since passed."

"Oh, I have no intention of objecting," Katrina assured them, keeping her voice loud enough for all to hear. "You have limited this union, and I would like to remove that limitation."

"I…what?" asked Bogo, looking down at Nick, then Judy. "I'm not certain I understand."

Katrina finished walking to them, and moved around beside Bogo, so the crowd could see her. "You are able to make this official in all Zootopian lands. I am able to make this official in all formerly Ursian lands, expanding the significance of this wedding. Do you, Judy, and you, Nick, consent to being recognized as the first predator and prey married under the laws of my lands? Per our laws, this vow is absolute, making you both master of the other, and equals for the rest of your days together. Another might climb higher in society, but to each other, you are forever equal. It may not seem like much here, but in Ursian lands, I'm certain you can see how significant that is."

Nick glanced back at Judy, and found she was smiling up at Katrina. Almost in unison, they answered, "I do."

Placing one paw over theirs, Katrina then announced, "By the powers vested in me as the duly-elected ruler of the northern Ursian provinces, I hereby recognize the marriage of these two. Burly bison, you may continue."

Bogo's glower did not escape Nick. "Now that this…interruption…is complete, perhaps we can get back to the original plan. I, and the representative of the semi-hostile foreign nation, do hereby declare you two to be lawfully married. You may kiss your spouse."

Nick smiled down at Judy, but before he could bend to kiss her, she leapt up and caught him around the back of the neck with both arms, putting her hind paws on his thighs to stay up. Her kiss was forceful, but he clung to her as long as she let him to the thunderous applause of their audience. At long last, she ended the kiss and dropped back to the ground. Nick was so stunned and giddy that he barely noticed Cyndi and Harry struggling to keep Judy from tangling or landing on her dress's train.

"You may all make your way to the reception hall," Bogo announced, once the hoots and cheers had ended. The guests started to get up, but when Nick looked toward the main exit from the courtyard, ZPD officers were still holding the doors shut against protesters. "On second thought, we're taking the back way out. Officers will lead you all to the hall."

Two officers remained at the doors, as the others began spreading out through the courtyard, taking one row of guests at a time toward the back of the plaza, and into the building proper through another set of doors. As the courtyard slowly emptied, Nick and Judy remained where they were, with Bogo and Katrina standing over them, and Markus nearby, watching Katrina like a dutiful bodyguard.

"You two, take the side exit," Bogo said more softly, as the crowds thinned. There were still a hundred animals yet to leave, but it would be some time before they all left the courtyard. "I don't want those idiot protesters knowing where to expect you both. You know your way to the reception hall?"

"I do," Judy assured him, taking Nick's paw again. She quickly unfastened the train of her dress, and tossed it to Harry and Cyndi, allowing her to move more freely in the knee-length remainder of the outfit. "Clawhauser and Skye, you mind giving us an escort, so we're not in trouble if the protesters catch us alone?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Benji exclaimed, clapping, before straightening and putting on his "tough cop" look.

Unlike Clawhauser, Skye made an effort to look _less_ professional, adopting a slight slouch and relaxed expression. Had Nick not known her all too well, he would not have recognized her as the pretentious vixen who had been all over the news a month earlier—which was probably the intent. "Follow me. Benjamin, bring up the rear. If anyone tries to stop them, please don't question my methods."

"I… What?" Clawhauser asked, his joy fading sharply. "What're you saying?"

"I'll use any and all necessary force—"

"No killing anyone," Nick intervened, and Skye looked more than a little crestfallen. "You don't even get to rough them up, unless they begin a physical altercation. I'm not bailing you out of jail tonight, sis."

Skye's disappointment quickly turned into amusement. "I thought you had an open bar? If you think you're not bailing out one of your siblings, you aren't doing this right. My plan is to drink our brother under the table, and Harry's agreed to drive home."

"Just…go," Judy insisted, pointing at the side doors with one paw. "I get a single bloodstain on this dress, and you're answering to me."

Skye gave a joking salute to Judy, then headed quickly toward the door that Nick was fairly certain led through the maintenance halls. Sure enough, as soon as Skye went through and they followed, they found themselves in a cool and poorly-lit passage through the conference center.

"This should be pretty direct," Skye told them over her shoulder, her paws making a soft slapping noise as she hurried down the tile-floored hallway. "We'll cut through the kitchen, then around to the reception hall. Anyone who's trying to get to you two will have to come through the officers, the reception hall, and me. All we need to do…"

Skye's words trailed off sharply as they passed the kitchen area, and Nick heard shouting ahead. He hurried his pace, falling in right behind Skye with Judy at his side, and was able to see down the hall to a windowed door. Beyond it, he could see dozens of tables and many of their guests…and just as many protesters, who were already in the hall, and being cleared out by the ZPD.

"Or…we could wait in the kitchen," offered Clawhauser, helpfully. He motioned toward a long rack of appetizers. "A few drinks, a snack, and by then the room should be ready."

"I can help speed this along," Skye said over her shoulder, as she cracked her knuckles.

"Skye, stop!" Nick warned, and to his surprise, she froze. "You do not have a badge, and the ZPD will put you on the ground in a heartbeat. Stay right where you are. You walk into that room and pick a fight, and I'll tase you myself, then hand Harry my camera, six shots of whiskey, some lipstick, a thousand small drink umbrellas from that shelf over there, and let him have fun with you on Muzzlebook. Are we clear?"

Skye's eyes widened as she cocked her head and tilted both ears in clear confusion, but nodded in acknowledgement.

The four of them stood around, watching the door for several minutes, as guests were moved to one end of the hall, while protesters and police squared off in lengthy shouting matches. After a while, Judy looked up at Nick and gave him a sly smirk.

"This could take a while, right?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she clasped her paws behind her back and wagged her tail.

"If you're implying something, I didn't get the memo," Nick admitted, shrugging. "Yes, I'd guess we have some time. Why?"

Judy pointedly leaned to look past him, toward one of the hallways out of the kitchen area. When he followed her gaze, he saw a sign that said, "Executive Washroom" with an arrow. By the time he turned back to her, Judy was bouncing on her toes and biting her bottom lip, the way she did when trying to subdue excitement.

"I'm guessing you don't need to use the bathroom," he guessed out loud, and her widening grin let him know all he needed. "Skye, Benji…we'll be back in a few minutes. Mind holding down the fort and keeping everyone from harassing us?"

"What are you—?" began Skye, but Clawhauser's squeal of joy cut her short. Sighing, she shrugged. "Go do whatever it is you're thinking. I really don't want to know, but I'm not covering for you if you get stuck there when they come looking to do toasts."

Nick started toward the hall, but Judy raced ahead, pulling him by the arm faster than he had intended to move. He wound up being yanked along, barely keeping his balance, all the way down the hallway, until Judy reached the executive washroom near a section of the conference center filled with offices. She came to a sliding halt on the smooth cement, and carefully peeked inside, looking both ways, before popping her head back out.

"All clear," she told him, bouncing on her toes again. "Foxes first?"

Nick laughed as Judy held the door for him—she could be old-fashioned at the strangest times—and slid into the bathroom, doing one quick check under each stall door for any paws. Thankfully, they did appear to be alone. By the time he turned back, Judy was sitting on the edge of the counter for the sinks, trying to reach the zipper at the back of her dress.

"A little help?" she asked, squirming to try and get a paw to where the zipper sat between her shoulder blades.

"Sure thing!" Nick blurted out, racing over to stand between her hind paws. Ignoring her efforts with the zipper, he slid up her dress, as he felt for her underwear edges. "There's an easier way…"

Glaring up at him, Judy reached down and grabbed his paws, pulling them away. "Priorities here, Nick. I really want the dress off, more than I want to have sex. I've got something to show you."

Nick took a slight step back between her knees and cocked his head in confusion. "You take off the dress and show me things, and I think we're heading the same direction, just slower. Should I be taking my clothes off, too?"

"Sweet cheese and crackers," Judy muttered, turning sideways on the counter. Pointing at her back with one finger, she added, "Just unzip it."

Sighing, Nick did as he was told, sliding the zipper down to her tail hole, so the whole dress opened up in back. Once he had the zipper undone, Judy held her dress to her front and turned back to face him.

"Okay," she said, looking up at him nervously, which was not something he expected. At first, he thought it might have been because they were fooling around in a publicly-accessible bathroom, but something in her tone hinted she was truly worried. "I wanted you to know why we haven't been sleeping together the last month. I had a wedding-day surprise for you, but I'm not going to make you wait."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, unsure what to do with his paws.

"Just…look," she explained, lowering the dress to expose her whole front.

At first, Nick was not sure what he was looking for. His eyes drifted over the curves of her body, across the shorter fur where scratches she had gotten in the south were still filling in, past the transitions between her two fur colors, past her hips and all the way down to her hind paws hanging off the counter. Confused, he started back up, then realized something was missing. His eyes went to her stomach and side, which she showed more readily when he focused on it.

"The scar is gone," he said aloud, reaching out to touch the short fuzz that had begun to fill over the long line Milo had been forced to make across her belly before their mission. Even the bullet wound below her ribs on the other side was faded under fresh fur. "I thought they couldn't fix that once it was done?"

As his fingerpads brushed the fur, Judy giggled and squirmed. "Okay, that tickles! It's not easy to fix, that's for sure. Cyndi pushed me to see a doctor about it as part of my therapy. So long as the big scar was there, she thought I might not let go of what happened, and would keep having flashbacks. The last month, they did a few rounds of grafts, and it's starting to heal. It'll always be a bit thinner fur, but it won't stand out so much. Do you…do you like it?"

Nick found himself all too amused by gently running his fingers over the short fur, barely able to make out the scar beneath. Whoever Judy had gone to for help, they had done fine work. Another month or two, and no one would be able to find the scar without digging into her fur. He was so entranced by the change and what it had done for Judy's confidence that he had to remind himself he was standing in front of his mostly-naked wife in a bathroom, while the ZPD cleared out protesters for their wedding reception.

"I really do," he admitted, smiling at her as he straightened. "You're beautiful with or without the scar, but I know how much getting rid of that meant to you. You didn't need to do it for me. I'm in love with you, scar or not. I don't care about that, your fur color, your eye color, your height, weight…I love _you_ , not how you look. Pretty sure we got past that once I admitted I loved a cute little bunny."

Judy stared back at him, unblinking for several seconds, then pulled off the rest of her dress and tossed it aside. "I told myself I was waiting until after the reception. That speech just ruined those plans. Do I need to talk you into it…"

Nick kicked off his pants faster than even he thought he could, as she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling her to the edge of the counter, he slid his boxers down past his tail, then adjusted himself so they were not quite as awkwardly perched, pressing himself up between her thighs. "For real? No teasing? We're actually doing this?"

"If you _want_ ," she whispered near his ear. In case he was still in doubt, Judy reached down and pulled his hips forward, easing the tip of him ever so slightly into her. "Shallow and quick, though. We've got a lot of mammals waiting on us."

"Quick won't be a problem," Nick admitted, then caught his breath as slid part-way into her. "A month wait and a wedding has probably not set me up for anything but quick."

"Okay," she gasped, tightening her grip on his shoulders, as they moved together slowly. "I just don't want to wind up—"

Nick had only managed a few gentle movements of his hips, when he realized he was very overstimulated and reflexively thrusted. He froze as a wave a pleasure blanked out the rational part of his mind for a second, with his hips tight against hers. As the moment passed, he gave a slight tug of his lower body, trying to move away, but she moved with him and then glowered up at him. "Uh…you were going to say 'stuck here', weren't you?"

Groaning, Judy slammed her forehead against his chest. "Dammit, Nick. Get a little carried away there? And now we're _stuck_ here for half an hour. I'm never going to hear the end of this, unless we get lucky—"

"We kind of did just get lucky. This is pretty much the definition of it."

Judy tilted her head so she could scowl at him with one eye. "Unless we get lucky and the protesters delay things another half hour."

From outside the bathroom, Nick heard pawsteps approaching rapidly, and he felt his heart sink.

"Guys?" asked Skye, as she knocked on the door. "They're still dealing with a few protesters, but most are gone and Nick's mother wanted to do a toast soon. You've got maybe ten minutes. Are you both decent?"

Judy gestured hopelessly toward the door, as she thumped her head against his chest again.

"Um, give us a few minutes?" Nick called out, suddenly feeling really awkward. He tried again to extricate himself, but he nearly pulled Judy right off the counter. The whimper and growl from her let him know what she thought of the situation. "We're, uh, having a private conversation."

Even with the bathroom door closed, Nick could clearly hear Skye's sigh.

"Can I say that I told you so?" Skye asked after a few seconds. "How long should I tell your parents you need?"

"Ten minutes," Nick called out.

"Half an hour, maybe more," Judy said, banging her forehead against him.

"I only believe one of you," replied Skye. "Judy, do you want this resolved quickly, or do you want to wait it out?"

"Excuse me?" Nick asked, trying to ignore the way Judy's ears perked up. "There isn't a fix for this. I think I know how these things work. Don't you dare come in here."

Judy reached down and picked up her dress, which she draped over their groins. "If you know a way to speed things along, come on in."

"No, no, no," Nick told both females. "Do _not_ …"

Skye opened the door to the bathroom and walked over to them, shaking her head as she looked down at the dress between them. "I do, actually. The ZBI taught us all kinds of stupid things for use in the field. I can't say I've ever had reason to address this particular problem before, though."

"There's no problem!" Nick snapped, trying to keep himself covered. "I am not okay with this. Skye, get out. Judy, we'll be fine. Give it a few minutes."

"You really think you have a way to deal with this?" Judy asked Skye, ignoring Nick completely.

"Yes, it's all about pressure points," Skye explained, as she walked around behind Nick.

Twisting to keep Skye in sight, Nick tucked his tail so he was not completely naked and exposed from the waist down. "We're not touching my pressure points, thank you. That's kind of what got us into this situation."

"Shush, Nick," Judy told him, as she tried to separate again with no luck. "Skye, go ahead and do what you have to do."

"No, do not!" Nick blurted out, but could not get a look at Skye, as she was directly behind him. "I'd love to hurry this along, but that's not—"

"I'll take that as consent," Skye replied, as she hooked one arm around Nick's neck. Given how much shorter she was than him, the motion immediately began choking him. "Hold still. I have to cut off your blood flow for a moment."

Gagging, Nick scrambled to free himself, but with his lower half trapped and his upper half being held in a chokehold by Skye, he flailed ineffectually for a second, before he felt Skye's fingertips jab into his neck. Everything went black for a few seconds, and Nick vaguely felt something cool on his cheek. Blinking, he found that he lay sprawled on the counter, with his cheek on the edge of a sink. A long stream of drool hung from one corner of his mouth, and Judy was no longer on the counter near him. Nearly everything from his stomach to his knees felt partially numb.

Nick stood up sharply, looking around as his mind caught up to what had happened. Behind where he had been lying, Skye was helping Judy zip back up her dress and brush her fur.

"How long was I out?" he asked, attempting to take a step toward the two females. He nearly tripped when he realized his pants were still around his ankles. Pulling them up in a hurry, he tried to cover up before Skye looked back at him.

"Less than a minute," Skye assured him, before returning to helping Judy. "I told you I know what I'm doing. And wipe the drool off your face. You look ridiculous."

Sputtering angrily, Nick turned back to the mirror and grabbed a paper towel. It took him a moment to smooth his fur and get rid of the last of the spittle, but he soon had himself looking more or less normal. As he finished straightening his whiskers, he glanced at Judy in the mirror, finding that she had somehow managed to not only look perfectly arranged and beautiful, but had the look of having done nothing at all wrong. On one paw, he rather admired her for being able to hide what they had been up to so easily, but on the other, the shy and demure act she had adopted for their wedding day had him wishing they had more time to be alone, so he could do a bit better with the bathroom counter routine. Another time, perhaps.

"Okay, unless anyone's planning on choking me to turn off my genitals again, maybe we should get moving?" he asked, as he turned back to face Judy. Offering one arm, he smiled as she slid her arm in to hook his elbow.

"I mean, I'm happy to choke you," Skye offered, less than helpfully, with a wry smile. "Pretty sure if you like that, it's her job now. I'll show her how some other time. I know some fun rope tricks, too."

Judy covered her muzzle as she laughed, but thankfully, she did not encourage Skye. Instead, she cleared her throat and motioned toward the door. "We should get going. They expect the newlyweds to actually make an appearance."

"And not choke to death," added Nick.

"No promises," Judy teased, as they headed out the door and back into the hallway, where Clawhauser waited for them, grinning like an idiot. "I'm sure my father brought his taser."

"He didn't," Nick whispered back. "I don't believe you."

"Believe whatever you want, Slick. Something about getting mom a new fox-pelt coat, if anyone hurts his little bun."

"His little bun is more likely to hurt me."

"Try convincing him of that."

Together, arm-in-arm, they headed down the hall with Clawhauser leading the way, and Skye following close behind. More than once along the way, Skye picked at Judy's dress or veil, adjusting the way it sat. When they finally approached the doors into the reception hall, Skye made one more attempt to smooth Judy's shoulder fur, then stepped ahead of them to lead the way beside Benjamin.

"Okay, here's hoping it's under control," Skye said, taking a deep breath.

Reaching over, Clawhauser took her arm to walk with her, though their size difference made it a little awkward. "It's fine! Deep breaths. Everything's perfect. Now…big smile. Show your own bunny you had everything under control."

Skye smiled and nodded, then pushed open the door to the hall. She and Clawhauser headed in first, and Nick and Judy followed.

To Nick's great relief, there was no fight with protesters going on, and no sign there had been one. ZPD officers were manning the doors, but everyone inside was milling about, talking and laughing, as though it were a perfectly ordinary wedding. Many were lugging drinks back from the open bar toward their tables, though most activity stopped as Nick and Judy were spotted coming in.

"Zootopians," announced the wildebeest DJ, as everyone looked up, "I would like to present to you the newlyweds: Judy and Nick Wilde-Hopps! Prepare your toasts, and we'll open the dance floor to the couple's first dance shortly!"

"You got top billing again," Nick whispered to Judy, as they crossed the room to thunderous applause.

"Get over it, Nick," she said, without her grin wavering. "You got your last name first."

"I'll get over it the day—" he began, only to lose the sarcastic quip as five bunny kits slammed into his legs, nearly taking him to the ground.

Letting go of Judy, Nick bent down and scooped up the five, though carrying all of them at once was a bit more than he could manage. Instead, he sat down with them scrambling all over him, talking at the same time over each other.

"What've you five been up to?" he asked, grinning as Amy got up on his head, so she could look into his eyes upside-down, with her ears flopped to either side of his muzzle. "Hopefully causing plenty of trouble for the Hoppses."

"No, we've been kinda good," Mike insisted, as he went through Nick's pockets. "Great-Auntie Bonnie says we're like little angels compared to most of the kits in the burrow."

"That's not what she said," corrected Kara. "She said Aunt Judy is like an angel today. You're makin' the rest up."

Mike giggled and shrugged, before bounding around in front of Nick, with Kara, Mary, and Seth alongside him. They stared up at Nick expectantly.

"Okay, what did I promise that I'm forgetting?" Nick asked, looking from one face to the next.

"You said we could be like a family when Judy came back," Amy insisted, pointing one paw toward Judy. "I heard her name. That's Judy. We like the burrow, but we wanna see you two, too."

Nick's heart sank at the realization that the five had not yet given up that dream. To be fair, he had not, either, but had forced himself to accept the sad reality that the city would not let them adopt. The fact that the Hoppses were able to foster them was as close as he could hope for. It at least kept them in his life, albeit distantly.

"We'll have to see about that," Judy cut in, sitting down on the floor. Immediately, two of the four kits not atop Nick climbed into her lap. "Stu and Bonnie would be so sad if you two weren't there. Maybe we can arrange to have visits…"

Before Judy could finish the thought, Orville—one of the directors of the Cub Protective Services—shoved his way past several guests, rushing straight for Judy. He snorted as he grabbed Seth off Judy's lap, then shook his head as he stared at Amy on Nick's head. Amy let out a low growl that Nick felt through his scalp. "Children, this isn't okay. We agreed to place you with the Hopps family, but only if you stayed away from…um…"

"Oh, I want to hear this," Nick told Orville, as all five kits turned glares on the pig. Around Orville, several of the off-duty ZPD officers closed ranks, crossing theirs arms over their chests. "Away from what, exactly? Two highly-decorated officers? A married couple? What're we keeping them from?"

Orville sputtered and set Seth back on his paws, eyeing the officers. "You know _what_ , Wilde."

"Wilde-Hopps," Judy corrected, with a big grin.

"Whatever," Orville replied, glowering at Judy. Lowering his voice, he continued. "The CPS doesn't want you two deviants corrupting these children."

"I don't remember inviting you," Judy told him, reaching out and taking Seth back from Orville. She motioned toward the ZPD officers, and Carl came over quickly. "Private wedding. You can leave now, or we'll have you escorted out."

Before Nick could say anything, a throat clearing nearby drew everyone's attention to John Wilde, standing beside a well-dressed caribou, slightly behind the officers. Nick took a moment to recognize the caribou as the city's mayor, who generally avoided public affairs, and certainly went out of her way to avoid predators, after the recent events with Bellwether. She had, however, been invited to the wedding as a matter of courtesy.

"You see, Eveline," John said loudly, motioning toward Orville. "You want to slap a medal on my chest, while you endorse this kind of behavior from your public officials? This is why I won't accept, no matter how many times you ask. Do something about this, or we're never going to see the city heal from the Night Howler drama. I mean, I could resolve it, but you won't like the public fallout."

"Orville, what exactly are you doing?" Mayor Eveline asked, stomping one hoof with a clack on the hard floor. "Are you seriously harassing newlyweds at their own reception? If the kits want to play, let them play! Why are you even here?"

"I… Mayor… I'm just doing my job," Orville insisted, then huffed angrily as Kara kicked him in the shin. "You see what spending time around degenerates is doing to them? A bunny acting like that—"

"At her age, it's exactly what I would expect, and it's rather well-behaved considering what these five went through growing up," Eveline snapped. "I don't even need to address whether I agree or not. You are creating a public relations disaster! Get out of here, and don't come back. You interfere with either the Wilde or Hopps families without good cause again, and I'll have you fired and possibly arrested. We'll talk Monday about whether you are in the right position within the CPS. Do not interfere with these two again, unless they are legitimately harming these kits. Understand?"

Orville nodded frantically, then hurried off through the crowds toward the doors out of the hall. As he slipped out, Nick caught a glimpse of the protesters outside. One particular sign stood out from the others: "Predators screwing prey, not in my city!"

"That was simple enough," John said happily, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, can we talk about rescinding that order against them adopting?"

"Do not push your luck, agent," the mayor countered, eyes narrowing. "I may tolerate this, but it doesn't mean I'll endorse it. Now, as for you, you've been talking my ears off for almost half an hour, yet I didn't catch your name. The briefing kept calling you Agent Crimson, but you answered to John a bit ago. Why do you care so much whether these two can foster those kits?"

"Me?" John asked, shrugging. He gave Nick a quick wink. "Professional interest. They're a good couple. Deserve the chance to raise some kits of their own. Seen how well they work together on a mission. Just call me John. I gave up my name when I joined the agency."

Eveline scowled at John, clearly understanding that he was not telling her the whole story. "Well, John, I will not overrule the CPS, as that looks bad in the papers. What I will do is remove the restriction on their visitation. So long as one of their foster parents—Stu and Bonnie, I believe—are present, the CPS will not interfere. Will that do?"

John gave the mayor a smirk that Nick felt looked all too much like the one he used when he intended to renegotiate a deal at a later time, when he had more leverage. "It'll do. For now."

Rolling her eyes, the mayor excused herself and hurried off, making her way toward the reporters for the various news agencies. Once she was out of earshot, Nick picked up Amy and Mike, and turned to face his father.

"That was incredibly nice of you," Nick admitted, ignoring how Amy was tugging at the fur near his ears to get his attention. "We can handle this on our own, though."

John smiled broadly, keeping his attention on Judy, playing with the other kits. "Of course you can. I have no doubts. I missed my kit's childhood, so I'm trying to give some others a better chance at happiness. As for the pig…you know, if you want, he can disappear."

Nick caught his breath and felt Judy staring up at him. Frantically, he shook his head. "No! We are not killing social workers, even if they try to interfere with adoptions!"

"I'm kidding!" John assured him, though something in his grin left doubts in Nick's mind. "Seriously, though, I do intend to get him and his cohorts out of their positions. The mayor only has so much say in the matter, once the media gets word of all the things they've done wrong."

"You mean interfering with our adoptions?"

"Or whatever," John added. "I'll find something. No one messes with either of my kits, even if they're old enough to have kits of their own. I'll have dirt on that pig before sundown, if Skye hasn't beaten me to it."

Still seated near John's hind paws, Judy spoke up at last. "John, are you finally claiming Finnick? You did say 'either of my kits'."

John scowled at Judy. "Absolutely not. Caught him going through my wallet earlier. Pretty good at it, I'll give him that much. May have a job for him, if he can stop groping your cousins long enough to hear me out later. What I was saying is that you're family now, Judy. Whether or not you two claim me, I certainly am proud of you both. Always wanted a daughter. Got a better one than I could have hoped for. By the way, you really should get to your first dance. Your families are waiting."

Nick looked past his father and realized several hundred sets of eyes were watching him and Judy. Many of the guests had drinks in-paw and others were eagerly waiting at the edge of the dance floor for them to start things in motion.

"Kits, we're in high demand right now," Nick told Amy, though he had to cross his eyes a little to look her in the face with her still hanging over the top of his head. "Can we come back to this?"

"Fiiine," Amy grumbled, as her brothers and sister scrambled toward the crowd. She was the last to go, leaping down from Nick's shoulders and racing after the others toward Stu and Bonnie, who were waiting patiently near the edge of the dance floor.

Turning to Judy, Nick offered her a paw up, which she accepted. "Shall we, my love?"

"Am I leading, or are you?" she asked, as they walked paw-in-paw out onto the floor.

"Who can tell? I certainly don't know what I'm doing out here."

"We all know that," Judy teased, grinning up at him as she put one arm around the lower part of his back—the only part she could reach without it getting awkward. "I'll lead. Someday, you really need to learn how to dance."

"Good luck with that, Fluff."

"Don't step on my paws."

"I absolutely won't promise that."

"Won't or can't?"

"Just start the dance, Judy."

Together, they began their first dance as the music began, and within seconds a few dozen other mammals filled the dance floor around them. Nick was barely able to take in who was nearby, with his attention entirely held by Judy's face and warm smile—and trying not to step on her hind paws as they moved. It took most of the song and part of the next before he had a good sense of who was closest.

Spinning nearby, with hardly a care that the song playing was far slower than their pace were Bonnie and Stu, with the five kits alternately skipping around them and dancing amongst themselves or with other young Hopps kits.

At one edge of the dance floor was Mister Big, held off the ground by Koslov, watching over it all with an imperious look of victory. Nick did his best to ignore the shrew, lest he decide to impose some new threat or bargain. Near Koslov's hind paws, Fru Fru and her husband danced.

Taking over an entire section of the dance floor were the ZPD officers who were not guarding the doors. To Nick's amusement, Chief Bogo was grinning ear-to-ear as he bent over to dance with Gazelle, under the watchful eyes of three of her tiger dancers. Before Nick looked away, he saw Gazelle give Bogo a delicate kiss on the cheek, and Nick dearly wished he had been able to snap a picture of the way Bogo's eyes had almost popped out of his head.

Near Bogo, Clawhauser and Nimr were dancing, the tiger resting his cheek on Benjamin's shoulder. A little closer to Nick and Judy, Carl Cannus and Cyndi were dancing slowly, while Felix watched them from the edge of the dance floor, a scowl aimed squarely at Cyndi as he sipped a drink.

Behind and to Nick's left were Flash and Priscilla, though they had barely moved their positions before the next time Nick and Judy turned. They would probably finish this particular song's dance after one or two more songs had completed.

Off to one edge of the room, far from the other dancers, Skye and Harry were dancing, all but isolated in their own world. Nick wondered how they were doing with their attempts to make their untraditional relationship work, right up until he saw Skye tenderly kiss Harry. Whatever they had, it worked for them, and that was good enough for Nick. They were in love, in their own way.

The last couple to draw Nick's attention as he tried to take in more than Judy's eyes was a bit more of a surprise than any of the others. For the whole first song, John stood near one of the tables, whispering to Marian, who was seated, and appeared to be entirely ignoring him. By the second song, she seemed to give him a slight chance, and they wandered onto the dance floor, despite her skeptical glower and lack of cane. Shortly into the third song, Nick turned in time to see John try to nuzzle her cheek, only to have her pop him on the tip of the nose with a finger. Despite her apparent disinterest, Nick did catch Marian reaching behind her back to move John's paw lower, near the base of her tail.

"She's forgiven him?" Judy asked, following the focus of his attention.

"Doubtful," Nick admitted, grinning as Judy led them through a quick spin. "She's going to milk this for all she can, and keep him guessing."

"So what you're saying," Judy began, waggling her eyebrows, "is being a tease runs in your family?"

"Learned from the best," he said, chuckling. When they came around again, his mother was nuzzling John's cheek. "Or, maybe I'm wrong. Guess we'll see. I'm really not feeling confident betting either way on those two."

"Nick, Nick, Nick!" Judy blurted out, patting his back rapidly. "I'm going to turn. Try not to stare!"

Confused, Nick let Judy lead him through another turn, and came to an abrupt halt as his jaw fell when he saw what she had been reacting to. Near the ZPD group of dancers, Cyndi had broken away from Carl and was leading Felix onto the dance floor. At first, Nick thought she meant to smooth things over with Felix by dancing with him, but instead, she put Carl and Felix together. The two officers laughed awkwardly, then danced at her insistence. Soon, Nick could practically feel the tension melt among the three.

"You're staring," Judy chided, forcing Nick to move again as the song trailed off. "Cyndi told me there was something between those two, but I'm not willing to ask too many questions. Are you?"

"Absolutely not," Nick told her, shaking his head. "Felix looks as confused as I am right now."

"Probably helps that I saw Carl down three shots from the bar before the dances started. I swear, Cyndi looks like she's got things all figured…oh, sweet cheese and crackers…"

Twisting to glance over his shoulder, Nick saw that Carl and Felix were kissing. He had no idea who had started it, but to his surprise, Cyndi seemed neither startled, nor upset in the slightest. Shaking his head, Nick turned his attention back to Judy. "And you thought a fox and bunny was a surprising relationship. Our friends seem determined to outdo us."

"You're going to have to up your game, Slick," she told him, before going up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "I expect you to be the most exciting mammal in my life. Can't let them one-up us."

"Challenge accepted," he told her, lifting her off her paws and kissing her fully on the mouth for most of the remaining time on the song. When he finished, many of the guests were watching and cheering, with drinks raised. "Remember, you asked for it."

"I did," she admitted, with a big cheesy grin. "I asked for all of this, and I still think I made the right choice."

"A toast!" shouted someone off to Nick's right, and he turned with Judy that direction, but whoever had yelled was already distracted by the time he looked up.

All of the ZPD officers in the room who were in uniform had their radios to their ears, listening to some broadcast. Together, they turned their attentions to Nick and Judy, before Delgato ran over to Bogo and whispered something to him. Each second, the reception hall grew quieter, as everyone seemed to wonder what was going on.

Bogo took in the information, then excused himself from Gazelle and came over to Nick and Judy.

"He's gone," Bogo said softly, waving away several of Judy's relatives who came toward them. "The call just came in from the prison."

Judy blinked hard. "He…? Rolen?!"

"Yes," replied Bogo, sounding sad to deliver that news. "We got the guards Nick warned us about out of there, and had every imaginable defense to him trying to get out. What we didn't count on was someone getting in."

His mind racing, Nick put the pieces together. "Bellwether escaped, too, didn't she?"

"She did. Doug improvised some kind of explosive and freed all three of them."

"Son of a… He planned this whole thing," Nick said, mostly to himself. "He wanted to be in solitary confinement. It wasn't to be alone, it was to be closer to someone he was conspiring with. Bellwether couldn't have set up all those businesses on her own. Someone had to provide the funding and other resources…"

"Rolen set this up, using her as a front," Judy finished for him. "He's had this ready as a way out, if we caught him. It's why he didn't fight too hard once he was in custody here, other than trying to get into isolation, over near Bellwether."

Holding one hoof up in front of them, Bogo told them, "I know you two. You're staying here, and you're getting your wedding. We'll handle this."

"But chief!" Judy blurted out, but Bogo huffed at her and she quieted down.

"I said no! You two are staying here. I've already got a team dispatched. You can pick up after them when you come back from your vacation in a week. You will have fun, drink, and be nice to your relatives. Those are all orders."

Nick and Judy exchanged glances. Shrugging, Nick surveyed the guests, and found that most were watching them carefully. Stu, Bonnie, John, and Marian in particular appeared deeply worried.

Holding his paw, Judy was practically trembling at the need to go after an escaped criminal—especially Rolen. As much as he wanted to see Rolen locked up forever, one look down at Judy's wide eyes and clenched jaw told him all he needed to know: she was terrified and would never be able to handle herself well in the field on this case. Turning to Bogo, he replied, "We'll stay, sir. Let us know how the hunt goes."

"You'll be the first to be updated, after the officers who bring him in," Bogo assured them, then turned and left.

Nick felt the tension in the room gradually ease, as Bogo and several other officers left, without explaining what had happened. The tension in Judy's grip on his paw did not change. Resigning himself to dealing with her fears and anxiety, Nick bent down and swept her off her paws and carried her toward the tables, where his mother had already set out drinks for them.

"He'll be back in jail in no time," Nick whispered, as they sat down.

Judy would not look at him. Her attention was locked to the door where Bogo had left from. "What if he's not, Nick? Are our friends going to their deaths? What if he…? What if…?"

"He's on the run. They can handle themselves for one week without us. Am I going to need to remind you we're at our wedding?"

Judy sighed and shook her head, finally relaxing slightly. "Keep the drinks coming, and maybe I can stop thinking about him."

"Tell you what," Nick tried again, after grinning toward a reporter with his drink in-paw. "If they don't have Rolen in jail a week from now, we'll go after him again. I won't even argue. Just take one week off from saving the world. Deal?"

Smiling nervously, Judy nodded and raised her own glass. "One week. That's all I'll give you."

"One week…for this case, right?"

Judy's smile became slightly more believable. "I didn't say that. I'm only taking one week off from saving the world. You're really bad at hustling me, Nick."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he answered, clinking their glasses together.


	30. Epilogue 2

Winter of the Bear – Epilogue Part 2, "Our Future"

 **Five Years Later – ZPD Academy Graduation Ceremony**

"Hopps, we can't stall this any longer," warned Bogo, standing near the door out of the room they had been waiting in. "It's now or never."

Judy took a deep breath and checked herself for the hundredth time. _Badge and medals in place: Check. No wrinkles: Check. Fur doesn't have anything weird stuck in it: Check. No one stuck gum on my uniform today: Check. Speech…still terrified._

"Okay, chief, let's go," she said, straightening her back and putting her ears up rigidly. "I'm ready."

"I'm not sure I am, but here goes," he replied with a sigh. His hoof remained on the door, without making any effort to open it.

"Which of us is stalling now?" Judy asked, lightly punching Bogo's calf. "It's time."

Bogo snorted, then shoved open the door.

Judy followed a short distance behind him, and together they made their way to the front of the ZPD academy's stage. At their approach, a roar of applause from the graduating cadets and the existing officers and families in the audience became overwhelming, making Judy's ears hurt, the same way it had the previous two times she had been up on that stage. The first had been her own graduation, when she had been filled with excitement for a future she could not have envisioned. The second had been both a gift from the city and a kindness from Bogo, letting her speak to the class Nick was graduating as part of. This time, things were far more somber. The ZPD was losing something memorable, and that put Judy front and center. Much as she wanted to hide or run, this was what she had been trained for.

"Short and sweet," Bogo whispered, as he approached the podium. He stood there several seconds, straightening his posture and waiting for the crowd to quiet down.

Beside him, Judy did her best to look calm and ready for anything that would come. It was not easy, with panic in her heart, but once Bogo's speech was done, it was her turn. She had to be ready, and not curled into the fetal position when that time came. She had family to show off for in the audience.

"Welcome to our newest graduating class," Bogo finally announced, once things were somewhat less noisy, and he had turned on the microphone on the podium. "Today marks a special day for the ZPD. Today, we are back to full staffing for the first time since Rolen came into our city. You are the latest to join our ranks, and stand against the breakdown of law that comes too easily to a city the size of ours. You are those who did not back down from joining the ZPD, no matter what Rolen did to the city.

"As is tradition at these ceremonies, either the chief of police or the mayor will make these speeches, except when we have a particular officer who is so exceptional that they take our place. This year, you have come together today to hear me speak about how hard you have all worked, and the great things you will soon do for the city. Even the pamphlets your families were given list the commencement speech as being given by the chief of police for Zootopia. A month ago, your expectations and reality would have been the same, but times change quickly in this city. That is something you will need to be ready for in the future.

"For a little shy of ten years, I have run the ZPD and done my best to protect this city. When I was sworn into this office, I pledged to fight to protect Zootopia at any personal cost, until such time as someone better came along. There was a time when I believed that meant I would die on the job like my predecessor, long before someone capable enough showed up to take my place. These last few years have proven me wrong.

"Today, I step aside for the next generation. You will serve this city under the finest police chief I can imagine, and that will not be me. Zootopians, as the former police chief, it is my honor to introduce your speaker: the chief of police. Put your paws together for Chief Wilde-Hopps, our city's first rabbit officer, and now the first rabbit police chief."

Maintaining her calm outward appearance, Judy turned and marched up the small steps on the podium, until she reached the top, where she could look out over the audience. Many of those out there were stunned as much by the surprise departure of Bogo as by the fact that a rabbit was taking his place. She had expected as much from the crowd, and gave them a minute to absorb what they had been told, before launching into her speech.

"Cadets," she finally began, once everyone was watching her again, "six years ago, I came to Zootopia to change the world. I saw the city as perfect in every way, waiting to welcome me into my role as an officer. I learned quickly that expectations and reality rarely match. Real life is far harder than our imagination, as I told a class not unlike yours five years ago.

"My belief of what I would find in Zootopia proved how ignorant I was of what might happen shortly after my arrival. Many of you likely have similarly overblown expectations. Our heads are filled with dreams of how we can change the course of history through our work to help others. I know that I dreamt of boldly stopping crime in this city, with a police force at my side. What I didn't dream of was finding the love of my life, starting a family, discovering plots from Dawn Bellwether against the city, and definitely not facing down Rolen Ursius four times, let alone ending his reign of terror over the city with the help of my coworkers and husband. I'm willing to bet many of you have been told dreams are nonsense, and that you should get your heads out of the clouds. Well, I'm here to tell you…you _can_ change the world, one day at a time. It won't be tomorrow, and it won't be the next day, but given enough time and effort, it will happen."

Judy searched the crowd briefly, until she spotted Nick a few rows back in the section reserved for family. Though surrounded by officers in dress uniforms, he was in his street clothes, after having retired almost a year prior. The reasons were bouncing on their chairs and on his lap. Three kits scrambled around tirelessly, their grey fur with red tips catching the midday light as readily as their oversized ears. The media had taken to referring to them as monsters, mutants, miracles, blessings, fabbits, or roxes. What they were called meant far less to Judy, though she leaned toward "fabbit." They were her and Nick's children by blood, and old enough that they had begun teething—often on Nick's tail, which he somehow took with a smile.

Playing with the fabbits were their adopted elder brothers and sisters, Amy, Mike, Seth, Kara, and Mary, now pre-teens. The five had proven themselves stubborn enough to have challenged the CPS's stance in court and won a year prior, allowing them to stay with who they wished, though Nick had helped them with a lot of the paperwork to make that happen. Though they still spent a good deal of time out in Bunnyburrow to be with other bunnies their age, they spent nearly as much time with Nick and Judy in the city.

"We don't always choose the path we expected," Judy went on, turning the smile meant for her family on the rest of the crowd. "What we think is ahead of us rarely is. We will all work to do what is right, and sometimes, we will falter. We will stumble, and we will get back up again. This is what makes us all heroes. Not a momentary good deed. Not wearing a badge, or a suit, or a medal. Not doing what's in a textbook, or what we were told was right. It's choosing to keep working, no matter how hard life becomes, to make that world a better place for others. Our job is often thankless, but do not believe for a second that your struggles and your pain goes unnoticed. Every mammal whose life you touch is made better or worse by our actions."

Judy caught herself in her wording and shifted slightly on the podium, so she could look toward the orange and black flag hanging to one side of the audience, where Katrina and Markus sat, surrounded by bodyguards. Beside them, the delegation of four fox-sized birds from the avian islands sat, watching the ceremony with a constant look of confusion. As she looked, two ravens cocked their heads, eyeing the fresh grass seed nearby with more interest than the speeches. Having only spoken with them a few times, Judy had found their attention spans to be very limited.

"Mammals, birds, or whatever, our lives impact everyone we meet," she corrected, doing her best to sound as though the addition had been planned. "Once, this city looked down on certain mammals, simply because thousands of years ago, they were at odds with one species or another. Now, we have the chance to shape our future in ways we never would have expected. Zootopia was once a sanctuary for every mammal, though we didn't always show it. We treated many like they were lesser, or unwanted. With the population control efforts being made the last few years to bring the numbers of various species back in line with one another, Zootopia is now a true safe haven for every animal, whether scaled, furred, or feathered. Remember that, cadets. This isn't _your_ city, and it never was. This is _our_ city, because we are all in this together. Everyone is under your protection. You do not get to pick and choose. Do right by your kind, my kind, their kind, and no matter what happens, make the city a better place for your time here. Protect everyone, no matter who they are, and you will be a hero.

"Cadets, please rise. You will now receive your assignments."

The next half hour consisted of a blur of cadets marching up to Judy. Each time one came forward, Bogo softly reminded Judy who they were and their assignments. In the future, she would need to remember all of this on her own, but he had wanted to ease the transition as best he could. Helping her get through the ceremony seemed to be as much for him as it was for her. Bogo was already missing the job, even before he was gone.

At long last, the final cadet stepped up to face Judy, and she did not get a prompt from Bogo, nor did she need it. A little taller than Judy, the white fox was unmistakable in her pressed uniform and perfect salute as she came to a stop in front of Judy.

"Officer Skye Wilde," Judy said, taking the badge Bogo offered her. "This will not be an easy road for you. You have a lot to prove and make up for. Wear the badge well." Judy finished pinning the badge to Skye's shirt, then waited a few extra seconds before announcing Skye's post. "You've been assigned to Tundratown."

"S.W.A.T.? Undercover?" Skye asked, hopefully, though her expression remained neutral.

"Parking duty," Judy replied, unable to keep from smiling. "For now. Can't play favorites with my sister-in-law."

Skye smirked, despite the assignment. "I swore an oath to do whatever I could for this city. If that's parking duty, I will be the best meter maid in Zootopia, Chief Wilde-Hopps."

"I expect nothing less, having seen your academy scores," Judy said as sternly as she could manage. Raising one paw to her brow, she saluted Skye. "Dismissed, officer."

Skye hurried off the stage, and down to the waiting crowd of her fellow cadets. They lined up as a group, their attention riveted to Judy in anticipation of the remainder of her speech.

"Protect, serve, and enforce," Judy went on, fully facing the graduating class. "These are the three things you swore to. All too often, enforcement becomes the easiest of the three to look to when judging your own actions. So long as I am chief, I expect that to be the least of your concerns. You, the first class of a new generation, will protect this city like none before you. You will serve its citizens, including those who have begun arriving from the former Ursian lands, and now the Aviary of the islands. These are your wards, no different from your brothers and sisters on the force, or your families outside the job. Zootopia looks to you for help and leadership, when others fail to do so. Rise above mere enforcement, and become the heroes we need. You are our future, cadets. Today, I salute you."

Turning her attention to Bogo, Judy snapped a sharp salute, which he returned. "We now also salute those who have come before, showing us the way to help others, and who have made our jobs easier by their efforts."

A roar of applause for Bogo ripped through both the cadets and the crowd, but Judy was not quite finished. Shifting again on the platform, she faced the families and other onlookers. "I now ask that all retired ZPD please stand."

A dozen rows back in the audience, Wolford stood unsteadily with the help of his wife. The injuries in the line of duty years earlier were still crippling, but he still found the strength to help part-time most weeks.

Farther to Judy's left, Markus stood up among the Ursian delegation, drawing quite a few stares. While the treaty with the Ursians was no longer a surprise to most Zootopians, a remarkable few actually knew that the king—a title Markus hated more than he could put to words, and one Katrina had fought against her people giving—had once been both Zootopian, but also a ZPD officer.

Near the front of the audience, Nick juggled the three youngest kits and managed to stand up on his chair, so he could be seen, too. His retirement had been less noticed by the media, given the lasting issues some had with foxes, but the fact that he had done it to spend his days raising their mixed-species children had definitely not gone unnoticed. In fact, it had been plastered over almost every station and website for several weeks after they were born, though these days there were enough other couples seeking Doctor Tuktu's help in having children with a partner they normally could not have, that the media had mostly forgotten about the Wilde-Hopps family. In a few years, a group of fabbits would not even be surprising anymore.

"We salute all who have come before, and bled for this city," Judy said softly, but the words carried well. All of the cadets saluted the retired officers, and nearly the whole audience cheered or applauded.

Once the cheering had died down, Judy gave a final look over her new cadets. "You are dismissed, officers. Make me proud."

Judy remained where she was, until the crowd and the cadets had largely dispersed. Most moved out onto the nearby field, where there was far more space for everyone. Many guests in the audience went to congratulate the cadets, thinning the audience considerably. This allowed Judy to look out at two ZBI agents sitting on either side of Pearl, who still wore tracking cuff on his ankle, but was being given supervised leave to see his sister graduate. Judy still did not know how he was faring, though John had assured her he was making strong progress.

After the majority of the guests were out of the way, she offered Bogo one last round of thanks, then climbed down from the podium and made her way out into the rows of seats, where Nick, the eight kits, Marian, and John waited for her. Checking over her shoulder, she saw that Skye and Harry were out near the cadets, and Skye was actually in tears, with Harry grinning as he hugged her.

"Three monsters are not going to sit still much longer," Nick warned her, as the three fabbits in his arms squirmed and strained, reaching out their small paws for Judy. All three let out whiny growls. "I'm gonna get bit if I keep holding them back."

Smiling down at her children, Judy tapped one hind paw, until they were paying attention to her and not just trying to free themselves. Once they were a little more focused, she gave Nick a nod, and he let go, while the older five bunny kits pulled their legs and arms out of the way.

Despite only a little past their first birthday, the three fabbits dove off the chair and ran—or rather, wobbled on two paws unsteadily—toward Judy, making grabbing motions with their forepaws the whole way. When they did finally reach her, the two girls latched onto Judy's legs, while the boy beckoned to be picked up. She obliged, hoisting him, while his sisters clung, giggling.

"How were they?" Judy asked, dragging her hind paws as she walked to Nick, so she did not toss the two fabbit kits off her legs.

"Reasonably good for their first big outing, with a lot of cameras on them as we came in," he admitted, then held out his left arm, where a patch of fur was missing. "Don't know which of them got me, but teething still isn't fun."

"They seem to prefer going after you, Slick. Starting to think they see foxes as prey, which—" Judy winced and cut off her sentence as Markus bit her shoulder. Even through her dress uniform, the combination of large front teeth and smaller fangs was painful. Reaching up, she carefully pried him off of her. "Markus, honey, that's not nice. Don't bite mommy."

Markus leaned back in her arms, grinning broadly. He took after his father more than Judy cared to admit, and rarely understood there were consequences for anything he did. That was going to be brutal in another decade, when he approached his teens.

Gentler nibbling on her shin warned Judy before Katie dug in, too. She shifted Markus and managed to get her paw onto Katie's head between her oversized pointed ears. "Don't you start that, too. Whatever your father taught you was a bad idea."

"Sound advice all around," Nick told her, as the five bunnies around him nodded sagely. "Is our new police chief ready to face the media, and then head home?"

Judy moved Markus to her other shoulder, and searched the animals still in the audience. Not far off, Marian and John were sitting together, whispering and smiling. "We'll want to wait on mom, in case she needs a ride. They look like they're doing better than last week, when they were fighting."

Nick followed her gaze, then nodded. "Lot of bumps along the road to recovery, especially when you're trying to start dating again at their age. His job will never make that easy. They're trying, though. She really wants him back, no matter what she says. And him…well, he's stuck in a lost moment from almost thirty years ago. He'll never stop loving her."

"They'll figure it out," Judy assured herself, as well as those around her. "Eight grandkits seems to be motivating them to get things sorted out sooner, rather than later."

"Mom, can we go play now, or do we hafta sit here?" asked Amy, rapidly tapping both hind paws on her chair's seat, making a rattling boom that forced them both to pay attention. "This was boring. Not like school boring, but still boring."

"Yes, you can all go, but don't go anywhere you can't see us," Judy assured Amy, and the other four took off running, even before their official speaker was off her chair. As a mob, they raced out onto the grassy field, chasing each other around, while giggling.

"Glad to see they've completely forgotten where we found them," Judy said to no one in particular. "You sure you're up to the task of watching the younger ones _and_ putting up with getting all five of them to school?"

"Yes, absolutely. It's why I'm not wearing a uniform anymore. Speaking of these monsters," Nick said, his tone hinting he was somewhat changing the topic. "We got a pre-emptive letter from the public school district that they don't want—and I quote—'a bunch of misfits' attending pre-school. The clarification was that they only accept non-hybrid mammals. They tried to soften it by saying they also don't accept avians. Nice of them to let us know a couple years early, without being asked."

Judy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Glad they've moved past the fox-hating and went straight to the fabbit and other hybrid-hating. They really don't waste time, do they?"

"Roxes," Nick corrected, smirking. "They called them roxes. Told you it was catchier."

"Whatever, Slick. Roxes or fabbits, what are we doing about it?"

"Absolutely nothing. John's working that issue. Me, I just made sure that a few news agencies got wind of it anonymously."

Judy grumbled and bounced Markus in her arms. "I don't want the ZBI having that kind of leverage with us. No special treatments. That's the rule, Nick. I'll go remind him…"

"Don't bother. He's not doing it for us, at least on paper. Something about avian ambassadors needing to be able to have their chicks get an education without fear of mistreatment. The ambassadors have several about to enter school, and this is an issue for them right now, instead of the future. I've seen his appeal to the mayor and it's really smooth. Hybrids are covered by it, but never mentioned. I don't think they'll realize they're approving things for us until it's already done."

"He needs to stop changing the laws for us," Judy muttered, still watching John. Her annoyance faded sharply when he and Marian crossed tails affectionately. The act Marian put on of not having forgiven him was wearing seriously thin, given that she spent several nights each week at his home. "This is getting to be a bad habit of his."

Nick shook his head, then reached down and plucked Katie off Judy's leg and put her back on his knee. Before he started talking again, he bounced the kit, making her squeal happily. "He's not just doing it for us. He's got sway with the government that most animals never will. In the end, he's using it to make life better for everyone who wasn't protected the way they should have been years ago. It's as much about others _like_ us as it is about us, specifically."

Judy turned and searched the crowds on the wide field, many wearing ZPD uniforms, and the rest congratulating or talking with them. Aside from the number of bunnies and other formerly-rare species in the ZPD, it looked like every other class she had seen in the last few years. "Did we really change anything, Nick? The city was open to having a bunny officer when I came here. It's been six years, give or take. What really changed?"

"Oh, I love this game," Nick told her, as she watched the crowd. "For starters, how many animals do you see in cadet uniforms out there?"

"There were seventy-two cadets this year," she answered immediately.

"Your class was thirty-four. Mine was thirty-seven. After Rolen, the next class was three, if you don't count the security officers we brought in from the outlying districts. Seventy wouldn't have happened if Rolen was still out there. It wouldn't have happened if Bellwether was still out there. It definitely wouldn't have happened if any of the hundreds of other lesser criminals you've caught were still out there. You made the city feel safe again, and gave respectability back to the ZPD. Skye and Harry would have shot each other years ago if not for you, instead of ending up dating. Heck, you brought John back into my mother's life, for better or worse. Have some pride, chief."

"We did all of that, not me," she reminded him, as he was all too fond of forgetting his role. "Every one of those we did together, and I'm sure if we didn't, someone else would have. I'm proud of what we did, but I just don't know if we really changed things."

"Ok, listen," he started again. "You are world-famous. Not even exaggerating there. My name shows up in criminology textbooks, and not for the reasons my mom thought it would, but I'm far from famous. That's all you. You can do this without me, as we've discussed a million times over the last few months, since you went back to work. If that's not enough, look me in the eyes and tell me we didn't make something that the world will always remember."

Smiling at Nick's enthusiasm, Judy looked over at him and could not help but laugh. Hanging over his face was Katie, batting at Nick's muzzle. By trying to look Nick in the eyes, Judy was staring right at the oldest—by a matter of minutes—fabbit in the world. "Okay, fine. We did make a few remarkable things, but that was together, too. I still don't feel confident without you working with me."

"I've got all four paws full for another decade with these monsters," he reminded her, as he plucked Katie off his face, holding her by the scruff of her neck. She squirmed and swatted at his paw, and Judy saw that she was trying unsuccessfully to use her tiny retractable claws to get through his fur. "You're the better cop, Judy. Always were, always will be. I'll hold down the fort and make sure these monsters don't end up in your cells. You did the hard work bringing them into the world, and I'll try to keep them from burning the place down around our ears."

"I still need you, Nick," she admitted softly, not having planned to say the words out loud.

"Not going anywhere, Fluff. We just have different end goals. Yours is to see the city keep improving, and I'll back you on that any way I can. Mine is to raise this family to be better than mine was. I'll be at your side the whole way, like it or not. Once they're all in school, we'll see about me coming back to the force part-time, though I really don't like being called 'captain'. We can't fulfill both dreams without sacrifices. Me staying home is a pretty small one, considering what we've been through."

Small sharp fangs pricked at Judy's shin and she pulled Amelia off her leg and brought her up to the hip opposite Markus. "You're right, as usual."

"That's a first, having you admit it."

"Oh, shush…and I'll make sure to deny I ever said it," she teased, sitting down alongside Nick and Katie. "Maybe we're both right. I didn't change the world. _We_ changed it. We're a good team, Slick, whether it's at the precinct or not."

Nick moved Katie onto his lap and the two waved their paws at each other, fake-fighting for a few moments, though even at a year old, Katie usually knew better than to actually hit someone. This was one of their games, swatting the air like they were going to maul each other. Judy didn't fully understand the appeal, but the kits loved pouncing, biting, and clawing at things—especially Nick—so the mock-fighting helped keep them from doing the real thing.

"You'll be fine, Fluff," Nick assured her, once he didn't have a fabbit swatting at him with tiny but sharp claws. "You were born to be the police chief. You wanted to change the world, and you have, and you will. This isn't the end of anyone's story. This is really the beginning. Stop worrying. It's really not your style."

Flopping the side of her head onto Nick's shoulder, Judy watched the two children in her lap with a distant-feeling smile. "Bad habit learned through self-doubt and fear of anyone coming after my family. Thank you for believing in me, and in us. It's going to take me a little while to get used to taking Bogo's place. That's a big shadow to stand in."

Nick laughed and put an arm around her, which allowed Katie, Markus, and Amelia to get at each other. Without hesitation, the three began wrestling in their parents' laps. "Fluff, I'll never stop believing in you. As for the rest, you might want to push for a revision of the ZPD pawbook on proper officer behavior. Pretty sure it said something about 'looking up to' senior officers. Unless we get you a really tall stool…"

Judy poked Nick with her elbow, trying hard not to draw the attention of the kits. They were rowdy enough without thinking it was okay to hit their father. "I'll look into that. For now, they'll figure it out."

"Now, how I'm going to put up with you being the chief, and me being a lowly retired officer…that's going to take some work, Chief Fluff."

"You'll put up with it because you know you love me," she reminded him, nuzzling his arm.

"Do I?" Nick asked her, though he was watching their other five kits playing out near Fangmeyer and Katrina. "Yes, yes I do. I love all of you."


End file.
